LENNON IS IN SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

Scotland star's dad Lee says Miller's creativity comes from free-spirited conviction to stick to his own style of football

- BY FRASER WILSON

THEY say international football is an education for any young player.

But, for Lennon Miller, the big breakthrough into the Scotland set-up has been a lesson in more than just the beautiful game.

Surrounded by players spread from the Canary Islands to the Middle East - and all points in between - it was an exercise in footballing cultures as well as foreign ways to master a match.

Mingling with Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Che Adams, Lewis Ferguson and Josh Doig it would be no surprise if the 18-year-old left the latest Scotland camp fluent in Italian too.

It's a class of Scots who have excelled in Serie A with McTominay and Gilmour landing a gold star with Napoli in the season just ended.

And for Miller the chance to rub shoulders with five like minded young men who took the step and flourished over the last three years wasn't to be missed.

This is a young man who has spent the vast majority of his life studying the game with a maturity beyond his years.

Now he's hungry to step up a grade.

Miller made his Scotland debut as a second-half sub in the 3-0 defeat to Greece at Hampden,

Then he produced a man-of-the-match display, topped off with two assists, in his full debut as Liechtenstein were beaten 4-0 in Vaduz. And according to his dad Lee, the chance to feed off his peers in the Scotland camp had him skipping into the summer break with new inspiration.

Former Scotland striker Lee, who won three caps, said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.

“Lennon sees them, he rubs shoulders with them in the Scotland squad and has done really well and thrived in that environment.