Every game an away one for Carloway footballer Eachainn

Miller has been playing in midfield for Inverness side Clachnacuddin since last summer and is continuing to turn out for the Lilywhites despite having now moved back to his native Carloway four hours and more than 120 miles away.

“The club have continued to support me so I can travel to games and I am willing to give up my weekends to play for Clach,” said Miller, a communications assistant for the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or Western Isles Council since March.

“Even though there’s a lot of travelling involved, I think it is worth it to play at a higher level.

“I have always had to travel for football and you do get used to the ferry.

“I am very fortunate to have friends and family help me with the travelling in various ways such as accommodation for away games and car loans.”

Miller started out playing for his home-town club, Carloway, later moving on to Ross County’s under-20s and then Stirling University’s team after leaving the island in 2016 to study journalism, also enrolling on its football scholarship programme.

“It was a big step up from Carloway to the university side, which, at the time, was managed by the current Scotland women’s team manager, Shelley Kerr,” he recalled.

“After three years with the Lowland League side, I was approached by a former youth coach of mine to join Clach.

“When I travelled up and met the squad and the management team, I decided it was time for a change, so I left the scholarship programme and travelled to Inverness from Stirling for every game during my fourth year at university.”

Results might not have gone the way the part-time club, playing in the Scottish Highland Football League, the country’s fifth tier, would have liked, but Miller is continuing to enjoy his time there.

“Last season was a difficult one on and off the pitch for the club, and we were disappointed to finish in the bottom half of the table,” he said.

“Despite not having the best season points-wise, I really enjoyed my first season at Clach.

“We have great supporters who come to every game and a great group of guys working behind the scenes to keep the club going.

“I played over 30 games last season and finished as top scorer for the club in my best goalscoring season as a senior footballer.

“I am now looking to push on again this season and help push Clach up the table.”