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Martin O’Neill says Liam Miller’s illness “puts things in perspective”.
News broke last night that the 36 year old Irish footballer is battling cancer, and is reportedly undergoing treatment in the United States.
O’Neill gave former the Ireland international his debut at Celtic, and the Cork native also represented Manchester United and Sunderland during his career.
“All thoughts go out to him and his family, [it] put things in perspective,” O’Neill said in today’s press conference.
“I gave him his debut at Celtic. He did wonderfully well in a Champions League game one evening, he was absolutely outstanding.
“We heard about the news recently but we didn’t know how bad it was. All thoughts go out to him and his family. I think he has three children as well.”
David Meyler appeared alongside O’Neill at the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s play-off against Denmark at the Aviva, and the midfielder echoed his manager’s sentiments.
“We heard the news but we were unsure of all the details. Thoughts go out to him and his family. We’re thinking about him and we hope he can pull through,” said Meyler, who is also from Cork.
Miller won 21 international caps for Ireland between 2004 and 2009, and news of his illness has led to an outpouring of support for the former midfielder.
Manchester United tweeted: “The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United go out to Liam Miller and his loved ones at this difficult time,” while Celtic wrote: “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic Football Club are with Liam Miller and his family at this time.”
