The feeling of scoring on a big occasion at Hampden is one which Calvin Miller will recall only too well. Nine years have passed, but the national stadium bore witness to a notable landmark in his formative days.
It was back in April 2017 that Miller played and scored for Celtic in a 3-0 victory over Rangers in the Scottish Youth Cup final.
Some of the names on both sides that night make for interesting reading. Alongside Miller in the Celtic team were Tony Ralston, Mikey Johnston and Jack Aitchison.
In the heart of the Rangers midfield was a certain Billy Gilmour, who, at that point, had yet to even sit his exams at high school. At centre-back, the Ibrox side also had Ross McCrorie.
It was Celtic who proved far too strong, cruising to an emphatic victory which had seen both Miller and Johnston shine as two young, effervescent wingers.
By this point, Miller had already made his senior debut for Celtic a few months earlier, with Brendan Rodgers singling him out for praise. A bright future lay ahead.
Calvin Miller has not given up on forcing his way into Steve Clarke’s World Cup squad
Miller’s potential is finally being fulfilled under the guidance of Falkirk boss John McGlynn
Miller has helped Falkirk to become one of Scottish football’s most entertaining sides
But as he returns to Hampden this afternoon with Falkirk to face Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, it is fair to say these past nine years have been nothing if not eventful.
The path towards regular first-team football at Celtic became increasingly difficult, not helped by the fact that Rodgers was determined to convert him from a winger to a left-back.
Speaking earlier this week about the positional change, Miller noted: ‘I was surprised when I was getting labelled as a left-back because I didn’t have one defensive attribute in my body.
‘To try and change that was a bit tough because, growing up, all I wanted was to score goals and take players on.
‘I’m an attacking player, so the first thing I want to do is go and take someone on. People say I don’t pass the ball in training because I don’t want to pass the ball. I want to be direct, I want to show a bit of flair.’
Stuck on the periphery at Celtic, Miller would eventually be farmed out on loan to Dundee and Ayr United. But nothing ever really stuck.
A few years earlier, a youth talent website had named him the world’s best young player to be born in 1998. It put him alongside alumni such as Romelu Lukaku and Neymar.
Whilst those two superstars were playing at the highest level and being transferred to top clubs for hundreds of millions of pounds, Miller’s career had hit the buffers.
He left Celtic in 2020 to join Harrogate Town in League Two in England. Again, it would be a move which brought no sense of purpose or permanency.
Miller spent the next couple of years plying his trade with Notts County and Chesterfield at National League level, the step immediately below the EFL.
He was drifting around. A young player earmarked with such promise and potential, he could easily have been lost as a journeyman in the English non-league system. But he returned to Scotland in January 2023, signing a short-term deal with Greenock Morton, before joining Falkirk later that summer.
In doing so, he swiftly became one of the key components in John McGlynn’s revolution. Miller was instrumental in helping the club win back-to-back promotions in successive seasons.
He terrorised defences in League One and the Championship. A player rich in potential from an early age, the talent was now being fulfilled under the astute guidance of McGlynn.
He was voted Player of the Year in the Championship last season. A return to the top flight did not suddenly put a stop to his revival. Instead, it has afforded him an even greater platform on which to shine.
If there is any one player who embodies Falkirk’s rise over these past few years under McGlynn, it is surely Miller.
Those were dark days when the club were languishing in League One. In Miller, Falkirk found a player who would help show them the light.
His pace and trickery out wide, with goals and assists to match, have illuminated a team who, on their day, are among the most entertaining to watch in all of Scottish football.
With Falkirk’s place in the top six secure, a terrific season both individually and collectively now sees Miller and the Bairns take on arch-rivals Dunfermline for a place in the Scottish Cup final.
For all McGlynn’s side have already enjoyed an excellent campaign, the best may yet be to come. The same would also apply to Miller on a personal level.
The 28-year-old winger kept his cards close to his chest earlier this week when he was asked about the prospect of making a late run into Scotland’s World Cup squad.
‘A few people have said it but I feel like Steve Clarke has had his squad and now because I’m doing well, my name’s getting mentioned,’ said Miller.
‘I’ve not really seen myself as a part of that or anything, so I’m not thinking about that too much. I’m just trying, on a personal level and collectively with Falkirk, to do as well as possible and see what happens.
‘These are the big games that you want to go and produce and showcase your talent. I want to finish the season as strong as possible.
‘If that happens it would be incredible but I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself to then be disappointed if I don’t get picked.’
However, Miller stated unequivocally that he has not yet given up on forcing his way into Clarke’s plans. And nor should he.
As a wide player with genuine pace and trickery, as well as creativity and an eye for goal, he offers a genuine point of difference that few others in the Scotland reckoning can match.
Beyond the likes of Ben Gannon-Doak, Scotland do not have an abundance of options on the wings. It is not unreasonable to suggest that Miller would enhance the squad in America this summer.
These final few weeks of the season will be vital to his chances, but if Miller can go on and potentially win a Scottish Cup, as well as showcasing his talents against the Premiership’s top teams after the split, he would make a compelling case to be on the plane.
His story is one of perseverance and persistence. A youngster whose talents shone brightly, only to them dim slightly, he returns to Hampden in full bloom.
He was once a Bhoy, now he’s a Bairn. But these next few weeks could see Miller truly come of age.
