Miller Time

GARY Miller is pleased to have returned to the Argyle starting 11 following his recovery from injury.

The Argyle right-back has been included in the Pilgrims’ previous two matches, appearing as an 88th minute substitute in the 2-0 win away to Mansfield Town last Saturday and then seeing a whole 90 minutes in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers. 

“It was good to get on against Mansfield,” said Gary, “and obviously we saw out the 2-0 win. Against Wycombe it was good to get back starting.

“I felt fine during the game and was quite comfortable, fitness-wise I felt quite good so I think it was just the travelling back after the game where my legs were a wee bit sore. 

“I feel fine now, we’ll train today and build towards Saturday and then go from there.

“The gaffer wanted to get me on [at Mansfield] because the longer you are not playing you are thinking about your ankle so he just wanted to get me on and ready to play.”

Miller has spent a two-month stint recovering from an ankle injury picked up in the Pilgrims’ memorable 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in January. 

The following game, against Stevenage, Miller watched team-mate Connor Smith succumb to a similar injury, joining him on the treatment table. The pair worked hard together in their respective recoveries; Smith is back in training, and may soon be pushing for a return of his own. 

“I have done a similar injury before,” said Gary. “I was just coming down from a header and he bumped my leg and that was it. 

“Obviously my weight came down on it, I just felt like I couldn’t move my leg.

“I managed to get home for a week for some rest and recuperation, just to settle and not be moving on it, then came back and started working straight away.

“We progressed together in the gym, on the bikes and swimming, and built up from there.

“Connor would force me to get through it and it was good to have somebody trying to motivate and help you as well.

“It’s never great to be injured, but when somebody has got a similar injury and you’re both doing the same thing it helps a bit.” 

In the absence of Miller, Oscar Threlkeld has been the regular first choice at right-back, and will offer competition to the Scotsman for the position. 

Gary is looking forward to the rest of the season as the Pilgrims push for automatic promotion. 

“Oscar’s a good player,” said Gary. “He’s very athletic, very fit, gets about and does his job so that’s obviously good for the manager.

“I’ve just been focusing on trying to get back and recover well and to do as well as we can in the league and hopefully go up.”