Morecambe boss Bentley: Shaun Miller will only get better

Striker Shaun Miller will only go from strength to strength after two goals in a week according to Morecambe boss Jim Bentley.
Morecambe celebrate Shaun Miller's winner at Bury on Tuesday night.Morecambe celebrate Shaun Miller's winner at Bury on Tuesday night.
Morecambe celebrate Shaun Miller's winner at Bury on Tuesday night.

The former Crewe, Sheffield United and Coventry front man got off the mark in the 4-3 defeat to Bristol Rovers on Saturday before scoring the winner in the 1-0 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy win at Bury on Tuesday night.

The 28-year-old has struggled to find a home for the last couple of years with Bentley confident the summer signing will only get better.

The Shrimps boss said: “He was excellent (on Tuesday).

Jim Bentley.Jim Bentley.
Jim Bentley.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re not in the market to go out and get but what I call a ready-made Riley.

“We are at the bottom of the food chain and it’s hard for us to compete with non-league sides sometimes.

“What we’ve done in the past is taken non-league players and brought them on like Jack Redshaw, got young players from Championship or Premier League level like Ryan Edwards for instance and the other one is people who have lost their way slightly.

“Shaun Miller’s had a dodgy couple of years with regards to loan moves and clubs who haven’t really fancied him.

“He had a serious knee injury before that as well.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But we’ve seen something in him. You don’t come through at Crewe if you’re not a good player technically.

“He’s got good experience and he’s eager to make up for lost time.

“He’ll only go from strength to strength.”

Miller suffered a serious knee injury back in 2012 and having not played regular football since Bentley is keen to manage a player who brings much-needed experience to The Shrimps squad.

He said: “He started for four or five games and just started to tail off, we saw the sequence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We took him out for a couple of games and have put him back in, it’s important that we don’t flog him.

“He played 90 minutes on Saturday and when he came off he was like the tin man.

“He wouldn’t have come on at the time he did (on Tuesday) but Lee Molyneux was throwing up at half-time.”

Preston loanee Jack Ryan also impressed in his brief cameo at Bury, showing strength and composure to set up Miller for the winner nine minutes from time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bentley said: “Jack Ryan was the best he’s been for us when he came on in the last 10 minutes.

“He put himself about and showed great composure in front of goal.

“A young lad who’s trying to make his name could easily have gone for goal himself after beating (Reece) Brown the centre half and drawing the ‘keeper to try and grab the headlines but he showed a calm head on young shoulders and squared it for Shaun Miller to tap in.”