ALEX MILLER spotted some of Scotland's finest players and tipped Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard for glory when they were just kids.
So the former St Mirren, Hibs and Aberdeen boss reckons he has the credentials to become the SFA's new performance director.
Hampden chiefs are on the lookout for someone to oversee a structure that will produce a better quality of player.
It's a role Miller would be interested in as he loves nothing better than spotting young talent then helping them develop.
Scotland stars like Paul Lambert, Paul Hartley, John Collins and Kenny Miller were all discovered by the 61-year-old.
He also recommended raw 16-year-old Torres to Liverpool when he was scouting for the Anfield giants.
And Miller was spot on when he predicted Reds kid Gerrard would go on to captain England one day.
The veteran coach is currently manager of Swedish side AIK Stockholm but is soon due to move back to Edinburgh.
So he hopes to be given the chance to put his case forward for the performance director post - with the SFA set to make an appointment next month.
Miller said: "If the job is about developing kids, assessing our game and coaching then I'm interested. That's my forte.
"I can spot a player. I enjoy coaching kids. I used to do it as Hibs boss.
"I'd go to our coaching schools in Hamilton, Fife and Edinburgh to train them. And I spotted players such as Lambert, Hartley, Collins and Miller.
"I also have experience at all levels of the game, while working with Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez at Liverpool taught me to be specific in preparation."
During his scouting missions for the Anfield club, Miller spotted some wonderful young players.
He told Liverpool about Robin van Persie when he was only 16 but they failed to act and the Feyenoord kid ended up at Arsenal instead.
Miller also tipped off the club about Sporting Lisbon's Cristiano Ronaldo 18 months before Sir Alex Ferguson even touched him.
Thankfully, Spanish star Torres did end up at Anfield - seven years after Miller first recommended him.
Gerrard was already on their books but some laughed when the Scot claimed he was destined to skipper his country.
Miller, though, enjoyed the last laugh and he would now love to help produce a future Scotland captain.
He said: "Clubs should have two development programmes - one for standard and one for elite.
"If a kid stands out then age shouldn't matter. If they are 12, 14 and 15 they should be training together in an elite group.
"You might only have 12 players but they should train with senior staff because that's your future first team.
"If standard players want to get to the top then they have to work harder.
Rapport "It's all about learning. Watch the Spanish - they have great awareness."
Miller worked with some of Spain's finest talent during his time as coach to Benitez at Liverpool - and they won the Champions League together in 2005.
But it was Frenchman Houllier who brought the Scot to Anfield in 1999 as director of scouting.
Miller said: "One day I got a phone call and the voice said: 'This is Gerard Houllier from Liverpool.' "I thought someone was at it but eventually realised it was Gerard.
"He wanted me for a scouting role and I said I wasn't interested.
"Another seven months went by and then he said: 'Look, afford me the courtesy of coming for one day for a look.' "He wanted me to watch the opposition and report back on tactics. I would also have licence to speak to these players privately so I decided to take it.
"The players had a great rapport with me. They knew I didn't have favourites.
"When Rafa arrived he went to Portugal during Euro 2004 to meet Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, and Gerrard in the England camp.
"They said: 'If you're going to keep someone then you should keep Alex.' "He offered me the job of first-team coach and that was it. We had some great times. The Champions League win in Istanbul was amazing."
The partnership ended three years later when Miller left to take charge of Japanese side JEF United.
And the Scot believes that was the catalyst for Benitez losing his job at the end of last season.
He said: "I don't want to bum myself up but people don't realise the contribution I made at Liverpool.
"The rest of the people around Rafa were yes men and massaged his ego. That's the way he liked it - he killed himself."
So the former St Mirren, Hibs and Aberdeen boss reckons he has the credentials to become the SFA's new performance director.
Hampden chiefs are on the lookout for someone to oversee a structure that will produce a better quality of player.
It's a role Miller would be interested in as he loves nothing better than spotting young talent then helping them develop.
Scotland stars like Paul Lambert, Paul Hartley, John Collins and Kenny Miller were all discovered by the 61-year-old.
He also recommended raw 16-year-old Torres to Liverpool when he was scouting for the Anfield giants.
And Miller was spot on when he predicted Reds kid Gerrard would go on to captain England one day.
The veteran coach is currently manager of Swedish side AIK Stockholm but is soon due to move back to Edinburgh.
So he hopes to be given the chance to put his case forward for the performance director post - with the SFA set to make an appointment next month.
Miller said: "If the job is about developing kids, assessing our game and coaching then I'm interested. That's my forte.
"I can spot a player. I enjoy coaching kids. I used to do it as Hibs boss.
"I'd go to our coaching schools in Hamilton, Fife and Edinburgh to train them. And I spotted players such as Lambert, Hartley, Collins and Miller.
"I also have experience at all levels of the game, while working with Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez at Liverpool taught me to be specific in preparation."
During his scouting missions for the Anfield club, Miller spotted some wonderful young players.
He told Liverpool about Robin van Persie when he was only 16 but they failed to act and the Feyenoord kid ended up at Arsenal instead.
Miller also tipped off the club about Sporting Lisbon's Cristiano Ronaldo 18 months before Sir Alex Ferguson even touched him.
Thankfully, Spanish star Torres did end up at Anfield - seven years after Miller first recommended him.
Gerrard was already on their books but some laughed when the Scot claimed he was destined to skipper his country.
Miller, though, enjoyed the last laugh and he would now love to help produce a future Scotland captain.
He said: "Clubs should have two development programmes - one for standard and one for elite.
"If a kid stands out then age shouldn't matter. If they are 12, 14 and 15 they should be training together in an elite group.
"You might only have 12 players but they should train with senior staff because that's your future first team.
"If standard players want to get to the top then they have to work harder.
Rapport "It's all about learning. Watch the Spanish - they have great awareness."
Miller worked with some of Spain's finest talent during his time as coach to Benitez at Liverpool - and they won the Champions League together in 2005.
But it was Frenchman Houllier who brought the Scot to Anfield in 1999 as director of scouting.
Miller said: "One day I got a phone call and the voice said: 'This is Gerard Houllier from Liverpool.' "I thought someone was at it but eventually realised it was Gerard.
"He wanted me for a scouting role and I said I wasn't interested.
"Another seven months went by and then he said: 'Look, afford me the courtesy of coming for one day for a look.' "He wanted me to watch the opposition and report back on tactics. I would also have licence to speak to these players privately so I decided to take it.
"The players had a great rapport with me. They knew I didn't have favourites.
"When Rafa arrived he went to Portugal during Euro 2004 to meet Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, and Gerrard in the England camp.
"They said: 'If you're going to keep someone then you should keep Alex.' "He offered me the job of first-team coach and that was it. We had some great times. The Champions League win in Istanbul was amazing."
The partnership ended three years later when Miller left to take charge of Japanese side JEF United.
And the Scot believes that was the catalyst for Benitez losing his job at the end of last season.
He said: "I don't want to bum myself up but people don't realise the contribution I made at Liverpool.
"The rest of the people around Rafa were yes men and massaged his ego. That's the way he liked it - he killed himself."
