Lennon Miller Celtic January Talks Addressed

Lennon Miller’s move from Motherwell to Udinese was one of the most talked-about Scottish transfers of the summer window, and the midfielder’s father has now offered fresh insight into why the family backed such a bold step.

While the move has been challenging at times, particularly with game time limited so far, Miller’s father insists the decision was made with long-term progress in mind. He acknowledged the toll it took on the family but stressed that the Italian club’s environment, professionalism and development pathway made it the right choice.

Rumours have continued to swirl around the midfielder’s future, especially amid interest from Scotland and England, but his father believes Lennon has settled well and is fully invested in the process laid out for him in Italy. His comments underline the thinking behind the transfer and the belief that Udinese’s structured approach will ultimately bring out the best in the young Scot.

Miller snr. detailed the challenges of letting his son go abroad at such a young age, the benefits of Udinese’s system and why patience is key as Lennon continues to adapt to Serie A life.

He said: “It’ll never be settled, there’s always rumours. If you’re a good player and you’re in the public eye there’s always going to be rumours.

“It’s nice for him to have somewhere he’s really settled into and is well liked. He enjoys the training, enjoys the players, enjoys the place itself – and for his development, going abroad is a totally different environment that he’s got to buy into.

“He’s done that so far, but it was hard for the family to deal with. You want the best for your child, so yes it was hard losing him, but you want the best for him and to make sure he’s doing well.

“That was the best thing [the move to Udinese], in my opinion, for his career moving forward.

“He is in a good place. He enjoys the training, the lifestyle, the food, the weather – everything about it.

“They [Udinese] do football properly in terms of the way they organise. They’ve got the nutritionists, the gym work, the facilities – everything about it will make him a better player.

“Yes, he’s maybe not played as much as he probably thought he would, but there’s a process in place to try and get them [young players] to where they need to get to.

“So he’ll reap the benefits from that. And the more game time that he gets the more he’ll improve, and then he’ll get into the starting eleven more.

“It was a brave decision, a very brave decision. He could have stayed, he had loads of interest in Scotland and England.

“It would have been probably easier, but to go to a foreign country, learn the language, [experience] a different kind of lifestyle, and hopefully progress his game to another level – that was the route he wanted to go down.”

Talk of a potential January loan back to Scotland, with Celtic the club most heavily linked – has grown over the past month, fuelled by reports that Udinese might look to accelerate Miller’s development with regular game time. But his father’s comments paint a very different picture, one that all but closes the door on a mid-season return to the SPFL.

Every part of what he said points towards full commitment to Udinese’s long-term plan, rather than a short-term move elsewhere. The emphasis on lifestyle, training methods, nutrition, gym work and daily standards makes it clear the family believe the Italian club offer an environment designed to stretch and improve him, even if minutes are currently limited. A loan back to Scotland would interrupt that process rather than enhance it.

Most notably, he stresses that Udinese have a defined pathway for young players, one that involves patience, physical development and gradual integration. That aligns with how the club have operated for years. They rarely send new signings out on immediate loans because they want them immersed in the tactical and physical demands of Serie A first. Miller appears to be following that blueprint exactly.

His father’s repeated insistence that the move to Italy was “the best thing for his career moving forward” is telling. It suggests they see Udinese, not Scotland, as the place where he will grow. The acknowledgement that “he’s maybe not played as much as he thought” is softened by confidence in a long-term process, which again undermines the idea of a January reset.