Charlie Miller was once hit on the head by a coin thrown by a Dundee United supporter at Tannadice. It was the happiest day of his career. Rangers were one victory away from clinching a ninth consecutive league championship when they travelled to Tayside on May 7, 1997. Miller was recalled to the side and the occasion inspired him to a stirring performance. He crossed, Brian Laudrup scored, nine-in-a-row was in the bag, and a United fan took it out on the midfielder who had made it from Castlemilk to the Champions League. "It wasn't a pound coin," Miller recalled. "If it was I'd have picked it up." United threw a bit more money at the 24-year-old earlier this month, enough to lure him back to Scotland on a two-and-a-half year contract. On the day he signed a tabloid published a picture which grimly revealed how out of shape the former under-21 international had become since his divorce from Rangers.

All he had to show for 14 months at Watford was a double chin and a spreading waistline. Just before United signed him he had considered a move to Wigan, where at least the club would have been Athletic. The photograph suggested that Miller, a debutant at 17 for Rangers, was already the latest in a long line of exciting Scottish prospects to have blown his career. A month later he looks stocky, but hardly fat. "I saw the photo in the paper when I came back and it looked horrendous," he said. "But I've never really had a problem with my weight. I just think I need to play more football matches. "Tam Cowan's been slaughtering me every week. On that 'Children in Need' last Friday there was a set of boobs and he said I'd donated them. People can say what they want. I am what I am and it's not going to change me. But I know that I can play football, that's the biggest thing that annoys people." It once annoyed the United support, but now they expect it from the Glasgow boy who was steeped in Ibrox culture and remains Rangers through-and-through. He still lapses into referring to his former club as "we", and regards the day his £450,000 transfer to Watford went through as the saddest of his football life. He had played more than 100 games during the good times under Walter Smith, the local boy made good who was eventually eclipsed by his friend Barry Ferguson. "Rangers was great. I won a lot of things there and made a lot of good friends. I won more than people who've maybe played for 15 years. People seem to think I'm about 30. I look it, to be fair." During the nine-in-a-row years the club became intoxicated by success, all too literally in Miller's case. He became a boozing pal of Paul Gascoigne and in 1997 appeared in Paisley Sheriff Court with Jimmy "Five Bellies" Gardner, accused of a pub assault on a Celtic supporter after an Old Firm game.

He was found not guilty, but was stuck with the reputation as a delinquent whose self- destructive streak ended his chance of surviving at Ibrox. "It all happened after that time in the Fox and Hounds pub. I've been made out to be a bad guy but I'm not, I'm a good guy. That was one bit of trouble but everybody forgets that I was found not guilty in my verdict. People got the wrong impression because I am from Castlemilk. But you do get nice people in Castlemilk." Miller, naturally could empathise with Ferguson when the new Rangers captain was embroiled in a scuffle with Celtic supporters after drinking in the hours after this season's first Old Firm match. Ferguson was splashed across the newspapers, just as Miller had been. "Barry's one of my friends and he was playing really well, but the next minute he's in the papers for fighting after the Old Firm game and the papers tried to blame it all on him. They built him up and they were trying to bring him down again. That's not very fair, but it is the pressure a young Scottish guy is going to have at the Old Firm." Dick Advocaat's arrival was the beginning of the end for his Rangers love affair. He started three games in the Dutchman's first season but slowly slipped from favour despite agreeing a new two-year contract. Advocaat grew exasperated by his lack of fitness, and finally dropped him despite his two goals in a 4-0 defeat of Dundee. In March last year he was loaned to Martin O'Neill at Leicester City, but suffered an injury 17 minutes into his Premiership debut against Newcastle which ended the chance of a £1.25 million transfer. He may as well have been invisible when he returned to Ibrox. Advocaat made him train with the youths.

Eventually he was moved to Watford but he was the wrong player at the wrong club. Graham Taylor's idea of a midfielder was a marathon runner who would shuttle from one penalty box to the other. Why he was attracted to Miller in the first place remained a mystery, but eventually he dropped him. Miller missed the "pampering" a player becomes accustomed to at Rangers and missed Scotland. Alex Smith, who once gave a lecture on football to his class at Castlemilk High School, agreed the deal which took him home. Last week Craig Brown privately joked that he would get a Scotland call-up when he had a six-pack stomach like John Collins. "I'll never get in then," said Miller with a grin. He is engaging and slightly dishevelled, full of nervous energy. Football might suit him better if it could be played with a cigarette cupped in the palm of the hand, with time for a pint before the second half. But his boyish pleasure at playing again every week is obvious. While Fernando Ricksen mouths off about straightening people out, if Smith can do something similar to Miller he will have plucked a high class player from the bargain bucket. "I never had any doubts about him, particularly in terms of his ability," said Smith. "Sometimes with players of Charlie's ability you have to put up with a wee wart or two. I feel it was well worth the gamble - if it is a gamble - to get a player of quality who can turn a game." Smith suspects that Miller's reckless years are behind him. He has a wife and two young children to look after, premature traces of grey in his hair, and a set of supporters hoping he could yet help save their season. "The fans seem to have taken to me quite well. That's good because when you go to a new club you're never sure, especially when you've played for Rangers. Everyone hates them, don't they?"

Even without full fitness he has added his vision and sweet passing to the United midfield. "I know I can play. I don't think there's many people who could fault me football-wise, for passing or whatever. I know that I can hold my own with the best of them. People talk about this being my last chance, but I can't believe that." At least he knows no one wants to chuck coins at him. Relegation looms large, but with Miller in the team United supporters won't throw in the towel. He crossed, Brian Laudrup scored, nine-in-a-row was in the bag, and a United fan took it out on the midfielder who had made it from Castlemilk to the Champions League. "It wasn't a pound coin," Miller recalled. "If it was I'd have picked it up." United threw a bit more money at the 24-year-old earlier this month, enough to lure him back to Scotland on a two-and-a-half year contract. On the day he signed a tabloid published a picture which grimly revealed how out of shape the former under-21 international had become since his divorce from Rangers.

All he had to show for 14 months at Watford was a double chin and a spreading waistline. Just before United signed him he had considered a move to Wigan, where at least the club would have been Athletic. The photograph suggested that Miller, a debutant at 17 for Rangers, was already the latest in a long line of exciting Scottish prospects to have blown his career. A month later he looks stocky, but hardly fat. "I saw the photo in the paper when I came back and it looked horrendous," he said. "But I've never really had a problem with my weight. I just think I need to play more football matches. "Tam Cowan's been slaughtering me every week. On that 'Children in Need' last Friday there was a set of boobs and he said I'd donated them. People can say what they want. I am what I am and it's not going to change me. But I know that I can play football, that's the biggest thing that annoys people." It once annoyed the United support, but now they expect it from the Glasgow boy who was steeped in Ibrox culture and remains Rangers through-and-through. He still lapses into referring to his former club as "we", and regards the day his £450,000 transfer to Watford went through as the saddest of his football life. He had played more than 100 games during the good times under Walter Smith, the local boy made good who was eventually eclipsed by his friend Barry Ferguson.

"Rangers was great. I won a lot of things there and made a lot of good friends. I won more than people who've maybe played for 15 years. People seem to think I'm about 30. I look it, to be fair." During the nine-in-a-row years the club became intoxicated by success, all too literally in Miller's case. He became a boozing pal of Paul Gascoigne and in 1997 appeared in Paisley Sheriff Court with Jimmy "Five Bellies" Gardner, accused of a pub assault on a Celtic supporter after an Old Firm game. He was found not guilty, but was stuck with the reputation as a delinquent whose self- destructive streak ended his chance of surviving at Ibrox. "It all happened after that time in the Fox and Hounds pub. I've been made out to be a bad guy but I'm not, I'm a good guy. That was one bit of trouble but everybody forgets that I was found not guilty in my verdict. People got the wrong impression because I am from Castlemilk. But you do get nice people in Castlemilk." Miller, naturally could empathise with Ferguson when the new Rangers captain was embroiled in a scuffle with Celtic supporters after drinking in the hours after this season's first Old Firm match. Ferguson was splashed across the newspapers, just as Miller had been. "Barry's one of my friends and he was playing really well, but the next minute he's in the papers for fighting after the Old Firm game and the papers tried to blame it all on him.

They built him up and they were trying to bring him down again. That's not very fair, but it is the pressure a young Scottish guy is going to have at the Old Firm." Dick Advocaat's arrival was the beginning of the end for his Rangers love affair. He started three games in the Dutchman's first season but slowly slipped from favour despite agreeing a new two-year contract. Advocaat grew exasperated by his lack of fitness, and finally dropped him despite his two goals in a 4-0 defeat of Dundee. In March last year he was loaned to Martin O'Neill at Leicester City, but suffered an injury 17 minutes into his Premiership debut against Newcastle which ended the chance of a £1.25 million transfer. He may as well have been invisible when he returned to Ibrox. Advocaat made him train with the youths. Eventually he was moved to Watford but he was the wrong player at the wrong club. Graham Taylor's idea of a midfielder was a marathon runner who would shuttle from one penalty box to the other. Why he was attracted to Miller in the first place remained a mystery, but eventually he dropped him. Miller missed the "pampering" a player becomes accustomed to at Rangers and missed Scotland. Alex Smith, who once gave a lecture on football to his class at Castlemilk High School, agreed the deal which took him home.

Last week Craig Brown privately joked that he would get a Scotland call-up when he had a six-pack stomach like John Collins. "I'll never get in then," said Miller with a grin. He is engaging and slightly dishevelled, full of nervous energy. Football might suit him better if it could be played with a cigarette cupped in the palm of the hand, with time for a pint before the second half. But his boyish pleasure at playing again every week is obvious. While Fernando Ricksen mouths off about straightening people out, if Smith can do something similar to Miller he will have plucked a high class player from the bargain bucket. "I never had any doubts about him, particularly in terms of his ability," said Smith. "Sometimes with players of Charlie's ability you have to put up with a wee wart or two. I feel it was well worth the gamble - if it is a gamble - to get a player of quality who can turn a game." Smith suspects that Miller's reckless years are behind him. He has a wife and two young children to look after, premature traces of grey in his hair, and a set of supporters hoping he could yet help save their season. "The fans seem to have taken to me quite well. That's good because when you go to a new club you're never sure, especially when you've played for Rangers. Everyone hates them, don't they?"

Even without full fitness he has added his vision and sweet passing to the United midfield. "I know I can play. I don't think there's many people who could fault me football-wise, for passing or whatever. I know that I can hold my own with the best of them. People talk about this being my last chance, but I can't believe that." At least he knows no one wants to chuck coins at him. Relegation looms large, but with Miller in the team United supporters won't throw in the towel. ©Sunday Herald