Steven Gerrard was hugely influential in signing Liam Millar at Preston North End on deadline day

Things were not easy for Liam Millar when he came to England at the age of 13. Football has always been the dream of the Canadian, born in Toronto and who wanted more than anything in the world to emulate his childhood idols, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard.

Millar swapped Brampton and Oakville for the English capital, and Fulham signed him as a teenager. The challenge was initially difficult, with Millar admitting that it took him two and a half years to develop enough and adapt to the game in England. The pacing was something completely new, Millar suddenly felt like a small fish in a big pond; very different from life at home. And in those early years, Millar had to go through difficult times alone. Leaving family and friends behind, the distance took its toll on the player, who said in a 2021 interview:
“I’m a 12 year old kid. I left all my family and friends behind. It was a difficult time in my life. All I want is to achieve my dreams, but I don’t want to lose all my friends and not be with my family. At first, it was difficult to adapt to this lifestyle. Things are very different in England.

“North America is very modern, very open and has a lot of space. London is more populous and a bit older. I also had to make new friends at school, all that stuff. It took me a few years to realize “I am here now” in the near future. I’m not comfortable sleeping alone. I’ve shared a room with my brother my whole life. When I moved in, we had a two-bedroom apartment. I slept with my dad. I cry almost every night. Sometimes people don’t understand that you have to waste your whole life doing what you want to do.

In 2016, the Cottagers were unable to tie down Millar to a long-term contract and Liverpool saw an opportunity to intervene. Former Blackpool manager Neil Critchley was the man who got Millar through the door, with the young Canadian international having slim attacking options. Attractive moves and finishes of the Red Devils.

Millar was number 9 for most of his youth career, but began moving to the left wing after several years at Liverpool – a change he embraced. But he is also strict with himself. During his years at Liverpool, Millar said:
“I think I need to improve mentally. I think I’m in good form, I think I’m good technically, tactically, but mentally I think I need to improve a little bit.

“Dealing with mistakes and things like that. Sometimes I tend to overthink it and just keep playing with it. I’m doing it now. It’s like resetting and all that – if I miss something, reset, stop thinking about it, think about something else. Try to do everything possible not to miss an opportunity or lose the ball.

The player he idolized on television would later become his manager, while Gerrard worked for Liverpool’s academy before moving into first-team management. Millar’s gratitude for Gerrard was meaningful and his tough, loving approach impressed Millar – who felt he had grown up a lot under the Red Devils legend.

Four years ago he said:
“(Gerrard) has helped me a lot and I always say I’m very grateful for what he’s done for my career. The problem for me is that I like trainers that aren’t too soft or too stiff – that’s what works best for me. There was a time