Is Lennon Miller the Next Big Thing in World Football?

Is Lennon Miller the Next Big Thing in World Football?

There is a new young footballer on the tip of everyone’s tongues and one who has been mothered through the pride of Scottish football.

His name is Lennon Miller – a wonderkid who has just made shockwaves through his recent transfer, all whilst the year 2006 sits on his birth certificate.

The midfielder is known for his fancy flair, press resistance and youthful leadership, which has all been installed into him by his role-model father, Lee, who spent over 22 years leading a wonderful career in the sport.

Miller now finds himself at a new club, in a new country, and on a new adventure, after signing for Italian Serie A outfit Udinese just shy of a week ago. The Serie A is a tricky test for such a youngster, but one that could ignite his career and shape him into the superstar we all know he can be.

His Rise to Stardom

Miller strutted into the Motherwell youth system at the age of just seven years old. Whilst he grew up just ten minutes away from the club in a town called Wishaw, his father was playing his football at a variety of clubs in both England and Scotland.

Happy 40th birthday to our former striker, Lee Miller.

Have a good one @LeeMillerScotia 🥳 pic.twitter.com/Mhq3BCX3Ym

— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) May 18, 2023

This included Carlisle United, Kilmarnock, Middlesbrough, Aberdeen and many more. The youngster then continued to be nurtured within the Motherwell ranks, leading him to be called up for the Scotland under-16’s side in 2021 – aged just 14.

The nepo-baby carried on progressing up the Scotland age groups to then compete in multiple international youth tournaments, including two UEFA European Under-17 Championships. He achieved all of this whilst still playing for Motherwell and making his way towards the first team.

In 2022, less than a week after his 16th birthday, Miller stepped on to make his senior debut for the Steelmen in the Scottish League Cup. In this match, the starlet became the clubs youngest ever debutant in a major competition – which capped off a sensational achievement.

Shining at Motherwell

After making such a prompt debut, Lennon Miller went on to make his first Scottish Premiership appearance around the festive period of that same year. The Scotsman then finished the 2022/23 campaign with five appearances to his name – four in the league – which only made the then 16-year-olds future ever more exciting.

He may only be 16-years-old, but Lennon Miller has already achieved a lot in his footballing career.

Becoming Motherwell's youngest ever player, he is taking everything in his stride as he looks to do his mum and his family proud. @LennonMiller06 pic.twitter.com/tcE9fgJWTQ

— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC) January 20, 2023

Still not old enough to buy his first pint, Miller jumped into the following season on a mission. He started all eight of Motherwell’s opening league fixtures, until the youngster saw a straight red card shown to him on the stroke of half time against Livingston in the early October.

After serving a one-match suspension for the incident, the midfielder jumped straight back into the team until an even bigger set-back dawned upon him. In the 70th minute of Miller’s first game back, he suffered a fractured patella, which was going to keep him out of the picture for three months.

Despite this being a devastating blow for the star-boy, he came back and resumed the incredible breakthrough year he was having, as he finished the season with 32 appearances, two goals and three assists.

This rewarded him with a contract extension with the Steelmen, and nominations for both PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year and SFWA Young Player of the Year.

Last season got even better for Miller. The now 18-year-old elevated his performance on the pitch, playing 39 matches, scoring four goals and assisting a staggering eight – as he competed amongst the Scottish Premiership’s top assisters.

(Lennon Miller Motherwell Stats: FotMob)

Rewarding his goal contributions and outstanding performances, the teenager was given the privilege of captaining the Motherwell team for their Scottish League Cup semi-final clash against powerhouses Rangers.

Despite losing the fixture, the experience of captaining his boyhood club out at Hampden Park is something extremely valuable.

But it was not going to be the only time he walked out at Hampden; in June, Miller arrived as a late substitute for Scotland in a friendly against Iceland to make his international debut. He then played all 90 minutes against Liechtenstein three days later – even picking up an assist in their 4-0 win.

Italy Calling

Finishing last term as one of Motherwell’s star players, Lennon Miller had an array of clubs chasing after him.

Scottish giants Celtic were one of them, but that long-term saga seemed to have come to a close early this summer.

Instead, it is Serie A side Udinese who have picked up the 18-year-old. For a fee reported to have been £4.75 million, with potential add-ons, Miller made the switch early last week and will now prepare for potentially his first game for the Little Zebras on the 25th of August against Hellas Verona.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✍️ 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | Udinese sign Lennon Miller (18) from Motherwell! ⚪️⚫️

"One of the brightest talents on the European scene.", says the Serie A club. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/8xowaB2E5m

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 15, 2025

In spite of this, the youngster did miss Motherwell’s first six games of pre-season due to a sustained injury, therefore it is unclear when he will be back fully fit.

What is so Special about Lennon Miller?

It is no secret that Lennon Miller is a truly talented young footballer. He follows a similar aura and play-style to many of the the world’s very best midfielders.

His sharpness to be able to creep out of tight spaces and find new pockets is exactly what the top players in his position are doing – such as Jude Bellingham, Pedri and Federico Valverde.

The way the 18-year-old manages to glide past opponents with flair also draws in many free-kicks for Motherwell. He was the most fouled player in the Scottish Premiership last season, which went hand in hand with Motherwell’s set-piece excellence – especially when taken by Miller.

The deep-lying midfielder shows sheer composure and maturity on the ball, despite his juvenile age. As the starlet avoids heavy presses, he then attempts to spray the ball up the pitch and find an attacker with his delicate distribution. These are traits that have helped him rack up so much experience at such a young age.

Miller also has a knack for winning the ball back. He loves a crunching tackle to rile up the fans, whilst gearing momentum back in Motherwell’s favour.

This defensive prowess combined with his ability to score and assist makes the youngster an incredibly complete player. One that may well go on to do impressive things with Udinese and further.