HOMETOWN hero Ben Miller has described it as a “no brainer” to extend his stay with Tranent Juniors.
The midfielder was one of several players committing their future to the Lowland League club, who are going for back-to-back league titles.
An 8-0 demolition of Edinburgh University on December 22, followed by a goalless draw at Cowdenbeath on Hogmanay and a 1-0 defeat to Berwick Rangers on Tuesday sees them in third spot in the standings only behind Spartans and Rangers B, the latter team ineligible for promotion.
Miller, who is now contracted until 2025, said: “Obviously, this is my seventh year and I have signed a new contract to take me up to my testimonial.
“It was a no brainer really.
“It has been an amazing seven years and the club are going places as well.
“We are flying in the league just now and it is a good place to be just now.
“The gaffer [Colin Nish] came in with his backroom staff and he has been fantastic with me and everybody else.
“I got a message from Matty Wright of the committee saying the gaffer wanted to keep me and I think the whole squad is staying as well.
“We have got a really good squad, a good bunch of boys in the dressing room, and a good committee as well.”
READ MORE: Ben Miller urges Tranent to avoid slip ups in title bid
Miller made his breakthrough at Berwick Rangers as a teenager and featured more than 25 times for the Shielfield Park side.
The former Ross High School pupil returned home to Foresters Park in 2015 and has become a regular feature in the engine room of the team.
Signed by Gary Small, he has played hundreds of games under various different managers and is loving playing for the club.
He said: “The seven years have absolutely flown by.
“It helps being in a team at a club where we are used to winning.
“They would be long years if you were struggling every year and fighting relegation.”
The club have won the East of Scotland Junior Cup, Lothians Cup and King Cup in Miller’s time but trumped that by being crowned the East of Scotland Football League champions last season after a lengthy battle with Penicuik Athletic at the top of the table.
READ MORE: Tranent-born Ben Miller delighted in securing promotion
Victory over South of Scotland Football League champions St Cuthbert Wanderers and a triumph away to West of Scotland Football League champions Darvel then saw them promoted to the Lowland League – the fifth tier of Scottish football.
Just four defeats from their opening 23 games mean that Tranent are right in the mix for another promotion.
Miller has been joined by Kieran Somerville, Oban Anderson, Sean Murphy, Martin Maughan, Kelby Mason and Euan Bald in extending his stay with the club.
The Tranent-born midfielder, who turned 28 in November, said that no one was getting carried away with the league position but they hoped to be up near the top of the table at the end of the campaign.
Speaking before Hogmanay, he said: “There is another half to go and plenty more games.
“We just need to take it one game at a time but we are in a good place just now. Looking at the fixtures, the games start to come thick and fast.
“Everybody is coming back from injury, like Shaun Rutherford, Euan Greig and skip [Sean Murphy] is not far away as well.
“We are looking forward to the turn of the year.”
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