Former Aberdeen striker Lee Miller has lifted the lid on why Steve Agnew is “up there” among the best coaches he worked with during his playing career.
Miller was coached by the Dons interim assistant manager at Middlesbrough when the centre-forward moved there from Pittodrie in 2010.
Former Scotland international Miller thinks very highly of the man brought to Aberdeen to help interim gaffer Barry Robson in the wake of Jim Goodwin’s sacking, and made it clear why the 57-year-old Yorkshireman is someone he loved playing under.
Miller said: “I worked with him for at least a season (at Middlesbrough).
“I played most of the time in the reserves and he took the reserve team.
“He’s a cracking, cracking guy and a really good coach with attention to detail.
“Steve’s just an all-round nice guy who really understands the game.”
Agnew’s long relationship with Steve Bruce ‘speaks volumes’ about coach’s qualities – Miller
As a player, midfielder Agnew made close to 200 appearances for Barnsley in the old English second division, and earned promotion to the Premier League with Blackburn, Portsmouth, Leicester and Sunderland.
Agnew’s subsequent long coaching career has seen him serve as assistant to veteran boss Steve Bruce at Hull City – who the pair got promoted to the Premier League and took to an FA Cup final – and top-flight Newcastle United, as well as Championship Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion.
Miller thinks his former coach Agnew’s long-standing relationship with the high-profile Bruce at the elite level in England “speaks volumes” about his abilities.
Agnew has also had multiple spells at Middlesbrough, including stints as an academy coach, reserve coach, assistant manager to Gareth Southgate, Gordon Strachan, Aitor Karanka and Garry Monk, as well as two terms as caretaker manager – one of which was an extended spell in charge in the Premier League.
It was during Agnew’s time working as Gothenburg Great Strachan’s number two and reserve side boss at Boro when he crossed paths with Miller.
‘The players buzzed off him… they really enjoyed his training’
Miller would only make 11 first-team appearances for the then-English Championship outfit between his £600,000 arrival in February 2010 and leaving in August 2011.
Although he spent some of his time on Boro’s books on loan at Notts County and then Scunthorpe, he spent enough time working under Agnew in his role with the reserves for the now-Dons assistant to make a big impression on him.
Having coincidentally bumped into the now-Dons assistant on holiday in Portugal last year – where Agnew had travelled with Bruce and the West Brom squad for pre-season – Miller said: “He understands the ins and outs of formations and rotations and things like that.
“But, in my experience of him, the players buzzed off him – they really enjoyed his training and he made it fun.
“He’s a really likeable guy, but he’s one you wouldn’t cross.
“Players give him a lot of respect and I just think he understands what players want and need, which makes training enjoyable and makes games enjoyable.
“It’s a case of him allowing people to express themselves on the pitch… I guess that’s what I took away from Aggers.
“He was taking a lot of young boys at the time and, with me being an experienced pro, he was trying to make that environment right for everybody involved.”
Robson a ‘strong character’ who needs experienced Agnew to ‘challenge’ and ‘test’ him
Aberdeen interim manager Robson’s decision to bring the vastly experienced Agnew north to help him steer the Dons back to form looked sensible when it was announced just one day after Goodwin’s sacking.
Youth academy coach and former Dons midfielder Robson, 44, knew Agnew from his own time playing in Middlesbrough’s first team between 2010-2012, having been at the Riverside during the same period as Miller.
Miller, 39, knows the potential pitfalls of stepping into first-team management after a stint in co-charge of League One Falkirk between 2019 and 2021.
He understands why Robson – who recorded the first win of his temporary Dons tenure on Wednesday when the side ended their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 home Premiership win over Motherwell – felt he needed to bring Agnew north to assist him.
Miller thinks his “demanding” former team-mate Robson – who expects hard work as a minimum – and Agnew make a comfortable, and complementary, pairing – which could work long term at Aberdeen.
He said: “Barry didn’t play in the reserves, but Aggers was a first-team coach (as well) and had a good relationship with all of the players.
“It doesn’t surprise me, if he (Robson) was looking for an experienced person he trusted, that’s the guy.
“He was out of work as well, so it made sense.
“I don’t know what the long term plan is (at Aberdeen), but I can see the two them working (well together) and bouncing off of each other.
“In terms of experience, dealing with players, knowing how to go about everything around it (the management role), it can be important having someone around you just to keep you right.
“I would call and speak to experienced ones I’d worked under and ask for their advice – ‘Am I doing this right?’, ‘What would you do about this?’ – just picking their brain constantly.
“Barry’s his own man with his own opinions and views. I’m sure he’ll stick by them, because he’s a strong character. But it’s good to have a second opinion and somebody to bounce things off of.
“And not just a yes man – but somebody who will challenge you and test you.”
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