TOMMY Miller has not ruled out coming back to Ipswich Town for a fourth spell - the next time as manager.

Derek Davis

By Derek Davis

TOMMY Miller has not ruled out coming back to Ipswich Town for a fourth spell - the next time as manager.

Miller told the EADT: “Don't rule it out. You never know in football. I have loved my time at Ipswich and would love to come back as manager one day.

“I still have a few years playing in me but I'm already looking at taking my coaching badges.”

Being told he was not being kept on at Portman Road after his current contract expired came as no surprise to Miller who had fixed himself up a couple of other options even before Roy Keane took over from Jim Magilton.

His former Hartlepool boss Brian Laws at Sheffield Wednesday is favourites to land him and with the cash injection expected at Hillsborough, the Owls could be serious competition for Town next year.

Miller said: “I have a young family and when it became apparent nothing was going to be offered weeks ago I knew I had to get myself sorted out.

“I would have liked to have stayed with Ipswich but things were too uncertain so I actually started things rolling weeks ago, so when Roy Keane came in it changed nothing for me really.”

Keane had allowed Miller to join Ipswich for a third time when he was Sunderland boss and then confirmed in a face to face meeting last week that the midfielder was not part of his plans.

Miller was first at Portman Road as a teenager but not offered a professional contract and went to join Hartlepool, where Town then paid nearly �1m for him in the summer of 2001.

He went to Sunderland as a free agent but returned two years ago when Magilton re-signed him.

And Miller has nothing but good wishes for the Blues for next season.

He said: “There are a lot of good players here and in Roy Keane a manger who is a winner. He has done it before with Sunderland and I fancy Ipswich to be very strong again next season. We were a bit unfortunate last year just missing out and it never quite worked out for us this season.”

Miller was unerring from the penalty spot and has hit a career total of 17 for the Blues in the 47 goals he netted for them in 214 appearances.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk

Tommy Miller's penalty scoring record

Hartlepool - 9 scored

Ipswich - 17

Sunderland - 0

Overall - 26

Ipswich

2001/02 0 out of 0 goals are penalties

2002/03 - 01/01/03 - League - IPSWICH 4-1 Millwall - 87th minute

- 25/01/03 - FA Cup - Sheffield Utd 4-3 IPSWICH - 68th minute

- 05/04/03 - League - IPSWICH 3-4 Nottingham Forest - 26th minute

3 out of 10 goals are penalties

2003/04 - 09/08/03 - League - IPSWICH 1-1 Reading - 90th minute

- 08/11/03 - League - Derby 2-2 IPSWICH - 56th minute

- 29/11/03 - League - Cardiff 2-3 IPSWICH - 29th minute

- 07/03/04 - League - Norwich 3-1 IPSWICH - 88th minute

- 12/04/04 - League - IPSWICH 1-0 Sunderland - 45th minute

5 out of 11 goals are penalties

2004/05 - 14/08/04 - League - Derby 3-2 IPSWICH - 41st minute

- 30/08/04 - League - IPSWICH 2-1 Wolves - 50th minute

- 02/11/04 - League - IPSWICH 5-1 Sheffield Utd - 22nd minute

- 22/02/05 - League - IPSWICH 1-2 Watford - 87th minute

- 12/03/05 - League - IPSWICH 6-0 Nottingham Forest - 64th minute

- 15/03/05 - League - Cardiff 0-1 IPSWICH - 62nd minute

6 out of 15 goals are penalties

2007/08 - 10/11/07 - League - IPSWICH 6-0 Bristol City - 48th minute

1 out of 5 goals are penalties

2008/09 - 21/10/08 - Nottingham Forest 1-1 IPSWICH - 52nd minute

29/11/08 - IPSWICH v Sheffield United - 41st minute

2 out of 6 goals are penalties