Lewis Miller has opened up on his hard-hitting style as the new Hibs summer signing targets a place in Graham Arnold's Australia World Cup squad later this year.
Lee Johnson has been very active in the transfer market to date as he bids to put his own stamp on proceedings at Easter Road. The new gaffer has brought in the likes of David Marshall, Aiden McGeady, Nohan Kenneh and Jair Tavares this summer alongside Miller. The young defender has impressed in pre-season and has outlined his ambitions to reach the very top level of the professional game.
The 21-year-old aims to 'kill it' with Hibs and perform to the highest level week-in week-out as the competitive action gets set to return in just 48 hours' time with Clyde making the trip to the capital in the Premier Sports Cup opener on Saturday. The Socceroos have reached the World Cup Finals after a play-off shootout win over Peru with Hearts right-back Nathaniel Atkinson currently the man in possession of the jersey in the Aussie defence. Miller has made reaching the squad his No1 short-term goal up beside winning as many games as possible for his new club.
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He told the Daily Record: “I love a tackle. The ball is there to be won and you’ve got to win it no matter the circumstances.
"I love football and I want to play at the top level and I know I can kill it here at Hibs and help the team be successful and play as high as we can.
"For defenders, big challenges and keeping the winger on the floor means you know you’ve done your job. That’s what we do.
“Aussie Rules is one of the biggest sports in Australia, it’s just hard-hitting and whenever you’re on the pitch you just give it 110 per cent and forget about everything else that’s happening around you. That’s why we get signed, we just want to kill people and win, win, win no matter what.
“When you’re playing with that sort of adrenaline you go even harder so you think I hit hard in the pre-season games, wait until you see me in the Scottish Premiership. Fingers crossed for no cards but I’m not going to hold back, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.
“I want to really push myself, and challenge myself, to get to the next level and I had to get an overseas move. The Scottish Premiership from what I’ve seen is a great league and I’m keen to get started.”
On his hopes of a spot in the national team, he added: “There is a lot of competition at right-back in the Australia national team squad but obviously I’m going to play as hard as I can to make that squad.
“I believe I could fit that squad and with my ability I could play wherever. I’m going to give everything I can week in, week out, kill it at Hibs, get a few wins, get a profile for myself, and hopefully make the Socceroos squad for the World Cup.
"That’s the No.1 short-term goal – apart from winning every game with Hibs – and it would be a big achievement for me.”
READ NEXT:
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- Hibs boss Lee Johnson urges patience with Jair Tavares as he reveals interest goes back YEARS
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