Shaun Miller talks about his return to Morecambe on Saturday
We spoke to striker Shaun Miller about his run of three goals in four games ahead of his return to his former club Morecambe on Saturday.“It will be good to see a lot of the lads and the manager,” he said. “I had a really good year there so it will be nice to see some old faces. I’ve been back to old clubs quite a few times but it’s just another game really.
“You do look for the games against your old clubs when the fixtures come out, but I’m playing for Carlisle now so they're just another game when it comes down to it.
“Sometimes they can be better than others, but we’ll just be going there looking to get another positive result. It will be nice to go back to Morecambe and see everyone, but we’re going there to win."
“Jim Bentley was brilliant for me," he admitted. "I was only there for a year but I can’t thank him enough for taking me there and being a good mentor.
“I think my year at Morecambe was the best season I’ve had throughout my career. There was one season for Crewe where I scored more goals, but in terms of the types of goals and the performances I thought last year was my best season.
"That was down to the staff and players there. However, I won’t be looking to do them any favours, but I will always hold them in the highest regard.
“I just want to keep scoring goals wherever I'm at and if I can carry that on against my old side, then so be it. If I do score I think it will depend on what minute the goal was in as to what the celebration will be. I’m very respectful to Jim and all of the staff down there and I certainly won’t be rubbing it in anyone’s face."
On his current run of form, he said: “The start of this season has been similar to last year. My first goal last year was in October, then I went on a decent run. It’s taken a few games this year but hopefully I can continue that form and keep scoring for the team.
“First and foremost you’ve got to be in the team to be able to do that. You’ve then got to perform to a decent level to make sure you stay in there.
"I always know the goals will come as long as I’m performing well and causing the defenders problems. I never worry about not scoring because when the goals do come they tend to come in runs of successive games, so hopefully I can continue that.
“I’d love to improve on my goal tally from last season," he admitted. "I’m taking each game as it comes and I haven’t set myself any real targets. The main thing is to make sure as a team we can stay where we are at the moment. We’ve had a fantastic start and my goals will help in that process.
“The key is that this is a very good team so I'll always get chances. In terms of quality, this squad is right up there with the best I've been involved with. We’ve had a fantastic start and you could literally pick names out of a hat and be happy with the team that went out there because we’ve got an extremely strong squad.
"I think all the players would vouch for that and it’s great knowing that we’ve got such a competitive squad. When you play you know you’ve got to perform otherwise you’ll be out of it.
“I think I’ve played 300 games now which is pleasing. Alongside that was the goal stat from a couple of weeks ago and it’s just a case of knuckling down and letting those sort of things take care of themselves."
“Everyone wants to play but you’ve got to understand that certain games are suited to different styles," he told us. "Jabo [Ibehre] and Charlie [Wyke] are obviously different players to me so I fully understand when the manager wants to go bigger up top. All you can do in those circumstances in look to take your chances. I know that I’m a threat when I do play so it’s never a concern.
“It was a great feeling to play in the first game of the season but the team is always going to change depending on the opposition and all that kind of stuff. I know if I’m scoring goals and playing well I’m pretty confident I’ll play. I think this is my best goal return in five years up to now so this is certainly up there in terms of how much I’m enjoying my football."
“Confidence is huge at the moment and we do feel unbeatable," he said. "15 games is an unbelievable achievement at any level. To do that and be third in the table, no one could have asked for a better start. We’re going into every game to win and even when we’re behind we always feel that we’re going to score. I think that’s showed with the few late goals we’ve got so far.
“Promotion was the aim before the start of the season, there’s no secret about that. We want to be where we are now, if not higher, at the end of the season. We’ve got to maintain that form because we’ve got ourselves into the position and we just want to keep hold of it.
“It’s really good to be involved in setting a new club record. The fact that I’ve played a decent part in it is also a proud feeling. We want to extend it and make this record unbeatable."
On the travelling support which will follow the lads down to the Globe Arena on Saturday, he said: “There aren’t too many local teams to Morecambe or Carlisle so it’s certainly a big game.
"Last year Carlisle took a lot of fans to Morecambe which always makes it a decent game. I think we’re taking even more than we did last year so it should be a really good atmosphere.
“There’s nothing better than running out in front of a large away following. Blackpool was unbelievable, we practically took over the stadium, and it does give us a massive boost. The fans are confident in our performances at the moment which is why they keep turning up. We’ll be looking to build on Saturday and get another win.
“Not just Morecambe but any team we play now will want to be the first to derail the train. That puts pressure on us but we’re going there with no fear,. They should be fearing us rather than us fearing them. We’ll be looking to take our form into the game to get the three points.
“They’ve made a lot of signings so it will be a different team to the one myself and Jamie [Devitt] left in the summer. The main thing is that we go there, perform well and give those travelling fans something to cheer about."
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