Lee Miller says Kevin Nisbet will love how Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin “believes” in him – and the chance to reignite his goalscoring career at Pittodrie could result in the striker remaining with the Reds long-term.
Manager Thelin brought former Hibernian forward Nisbet in on a season-long loan from English Championship Millwall during the summer window as part of his Reds rebuild.
The Lions paid Hibs a £2million fee to secure the striker on a three-year deal in summer 2023.
However, following a promising start at the Den, Nisbet made only one Championship appearance after January last season.
Now back in Scotland, he missed a few recent Aberdeen fixtures due to a calf issue, but has already netted four times for his new club – including in a comeback appearance off the bench against Dundee (4-1 home Premiership win) prior to the current international break.
Miller made two big-money switches south of the border during his playing days: from Falkirk to Bristol City in 2003, and then from the Dons to Middlesbrough in 2010.
Both spells proved frustrating, but he “galvanised” his career with subsequent moves to sides which could have been considered backwards or sideways steps.
Miller knows from his experience Nisbet will just be happy he is now at a club where he has the manager’s “trust”.
“I went from Falkirk to Bristol City, did well, and then it fizzled out a wee bit,” Miller said.
“I came back up to Hearts and that galvanised my career again.
“I then went to Dundee United. It didn’t quite happen, then I went to Aberdeen and kicked on again.
“Then it was the same at Middlesbrough, then I went to Carlisle and that galvanised me.
“So it can happen throughout your career.
“As a player, if you’re at a club and you’re not playing and you’re not scoring the goals, and you’ve got the opportunity to go somewhere where somebody believes in you and somebody trusts you and wants you to play, you just go and give everything.
“You want to take all obstacles away and just concentrate on your football.”
‘Whether it’s trying to earn a move to Aberdeen, or just earn a move, Nisbet just needs to play well’
When he signed for Aberdeen, Nisbet admitted part of his reasoning was to fire himself back into the Scotland set-up – with his early Dons goals earning the 11-cap 27-year-old a return call-up to Steve Clarke’s Dark Blues ranks during the last international break.
Miller, who played three times for Scotland, does not think Nisbet, with two years left to run on his Millwall deal, will be looking beyond this season at this stage.
But he thinks, come the conclusion of the campaign, there is every chance Nisbet might want to extend his time in Swedish gaffer Thelin’s Aberdeen team, who are currently second and remain unbeaten in the top-flight.
Miller said: “I don’t see why not.
“Kevin Nisbet needs to just concentrate on enjoying his football again – and I think he’s doing that.
“Whether it’s trying to earn a move to Aberdeen, or just earn a move, he just needs to play well.
“When you’re a player, you get opportunities which come up now and again – I had them loads in my career – where you just think: ‘This is a chance for me to kick on, enjoy my football and enjoy the environment’.
“He’s said that a few times in his interviews (since joining Aberdeen), which is great, because you need to be in an environment you’re allowed to flourish in and play your own game.
“You can see throughout they squad they’re all enjoying playing for a manager who is very clued-up on what he’s doing.”
‘You should still be playing man!’ – Miller hails ‘ridiculously good’ Joe Lewis after Aberdeen’s Masters win
Miller, 41 – who netted 33 times in 145 games for Aberdeen during a three-and-a-half-year spell from 2006 – was back in the Granite City on Thursday, helping his fellow Dons veterans win the Scottish Football Masters tournament at P&J Live.
The former Reds beat rivals Rangers in a final-deciding penalty shoot-out.
Miller thoroughly enjoyed the event, which also featured Celtic and Dundee United old boys’ teams – and hopes the Dons get the chance to defend their title at the north-east venue next year.
He said: “I enjoyed every minute of it.
“I was up there all day, we coached the kids, had a laugh… It’s a very well-organised tournament.
“That was the first time I’ve ever played in something like that.
“The crowd were brilliant all night with all the teams – but obviously it was good most of them were in our favour and Aberdeen fans.
“It was just a really good night, played in good spirits, there were a few meaty challenges and a few cracking goals.”
Before Aberdeen picked up the trophy, Jonny Hayes was named player of the tournament, while his Dons team-mate, keeper Joe Lewis, was awarded goal of the night for a stunning kick from his hands in the final which looped over Rangers opposite number Roy Carroll and into the net.
Miller thinks Lewis’ heroics between posts could have earned him double individual gongs, saying of the recently-retired Lewis: “I think because he scored that goal as well, I think they probably thought they couldn’t give him the two awards.
“He was incredible – ridiculously good.
“I said to him after: ‘You should still be playing man!’, as honestly, the point-blank saves he came up with…
“But in fairness to Jonny, he played every single minute of every game.”
Miller scored the first goal of the evening after just a few seconds of the opening group game, which was also Aberdeen against Rangers, when he curled a pinpoint long-range shot beyond Carroll.
“It was possibly my first touch,” Miller – whose 18-year-old midfielder son Lennon is following in his Scottish top-flight footsteps and having a break-out campaign for Motherwell – said.
“I just thought I’d try to catch him at the near post and I don’t think the goalie was set for it.
“All I wanted from that night was to score, get a (nut)meg and to have fun – and I did them all!”
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