EXCLUSIVE BY DEREK DAVISTRUE Blue Tommy Miller admits he will listen to offers from other clubs in the New Year to safeguard his future.Miller, whose contract expires in the summer, is one of eight Town players available on Bosman free transfers and so will be allowed to listen to new offers from January onwards.

EXCLUSIVE

TRUE Blue Tommy Miller admits he will listen to offers from other clubs in the New Year to safeguard his future.

Miller, whose contract expires in the summer, is one of eight Town players available on Bosman free transfers and so will be allowed to listen to new offers from January onwards.

The midfielder, who gets married in June, is desperate to stay at Portman Road, but there have been no moves by the club to keep him, as yet.

Miller said: “They probably won't offer new deals until they know what division we are in. That is what happened to a lot of the lads last year, and they weren't offered anything until really late on.

“That is understandable, and I would love to stay here, but I have to look after myself and my family.

“I absolutely love it here at Ipswich and I'm really settled in the area, so I would not want to go but we are allowed to talk to other clubs in January and I would be prepared to look at that.”

The uncertainty of the contract situation, and then the 'take it or leave it' approach by the management, upset some players last summer, with John McGreal, Jermaine Wright and Chris Makin all opting for other offers.

Shefki Kuqi, Fabian Wilnis, Drissa Diallo, Jim Magilton, Pablo Counago Antonio Murray, Adam Atay and Chris Hogg, are all free agents in June, 2005.

Atay has already been told he will not be offered a new deal, while Academy youngster Daniel Flack was told this week that he is free to leave.

Miller's availability will alert a number of top Championship, and some Premiership clubs, but there is no doubt the 25-year-old would prefer to step back into the top level - preferably with Town.

Scotland are keen to cap him after an initial recommendation by Blues coach Willie Donachie.

Miller has trained with the Scots and would have been called into the Futures squad, which lost to Germany earlier in the week, but for his elbow injury.

The appointment of Walter Smith has not diminished his chances and the former Everton manager's preference for training camps, rather than friendly matches, appeals to Miller.

He said: “It might be something to consider but, at the moment, all I want to do is concentrate on Ipswich and getting into the Premiership, so we will wait and see about Scotland.”

Miller could be up against namesake Adam at Loftus Road tomorrow and the Blues midfielder has a lot of empathy with the recent QPR signing from Aldershot.

Adam Miller, no relation to Tommy, left Portman Road four years ago and played non-league before being spotted by QPR boss Ian Holloway, who paid a club record fee to Aldershot for the 22-year-old.

Tommy was also released by Ipswich as a teenager and he eventually signed for Hartlepool, who then made almost £1m in selling him back to the Blues in 2001.

He said: “Adam's situation is very similar to mine and I can understand exactly what he went through. He will be very determined to do well in the league and, no doubt, against Ipswich on Saturday he will be looking to show they were wrong to let him go.

“Our situations show that you should never give up. Just because one club lets you go, doesn't mean the end of the dream, especially if it is a big club like Ipswich. There are a lot of other clubs you can go to, even if it means dropping down a few divisions, but if you work hard and believe in yourself you can come back.”

Another Rangers player looking to make his mark is Georges Santos, who Miller holds in high regard.

He said: “He's a great lad and was a bit unfortunate here. He made a couple of mistakes in games and got crucified. But he has gone to QPR and has done an excellent job for them, scoring goals, and I'm really looking forward to seeing him again.”

Owen Garvan has been recalled to the first-team squad, after being on the bench against Brighton but missing out on the trip to Crewe.

The 16-year-old Irishman, who scored in the reserves' 1-1 draw at Derby on Monday, has been added to the 16 involved in the draw at Crewe but may not make the bench this time.

Ipswich Town squad: Davis, Supple, Diallo, Richards, Wilnis, De Vos, Naylor, Collins, Horlock, Miller, Magilton, Westlake, Garvan, Bent, Kuqi, Bowditch, Counago.

derek.davis@eadt.co.uk