Why Bristol Rovers should go for Miller

Matty Taylor

Bristol Rovers have just lost Matty Taylor. The man who scored the goals that helped them from the National League and financial uncertainty to the top half of League One. The fact he has crossed the city for the Gashead’s BS3 rivals only rubs salt into open wounds.

However, what Taylor’s rise shows is that there is plenty of talent in non-league. It seems increasingly common for a player at the top of the National League goalscoring charts to push further on in their career.

John Akinde fired Barnet to promotion in 14/15. His subsequent form in League Two has put higher-ranked clubs on red alert. The year before that, Andre Gray and Lee Gregory starred for Luton and Halifax respectively. Both known for their work rate, Gregory is now one of the best strikers in League One while Gray went on to be top scorer in the Championship last season.

In 11/12, a lightening quick Jamie Vardy tore up the league with Fleetwood and… well, we all know what has since happened to him. We have seen Omar Bogle impress for Solihull Moors and then Grimsby, his form attracting the attentions of Championship clubs.

Not every striker who thrives in the National League kicks on, but a lot of them do. Dover Athletic’s Ricky Miller has more potential than most, having scored more goals (27) than he has had starts (24) this season. That is a remarkable achievement considering Gray, Vardy and Akinde only managed four more goals in a whole season.

Miller is not only a remarkable goalscorer, his tracking back and work rate out of possession has improved hugely under Chris Kinnear at the Crabble Ground.
The forward’s contract runs out in the summer, which leaves Dover with a conflict of interests. They could hold onto him now to maintain their chances of promotion. However, should the forward want to leave amid short-term interest from Bristol Rovers, Dover may be tempted to cash in.

As Taylor and many others have shown, success in the fifth tier can be the stepping stone to something even greater.