Icons of Football: Willie Miller

Graham Hunter, journalist

If you’re an Aberdonian of anything like my vintage, what he taught you was that you could do anything, anything in life, literally. He changed my life.

We were waiting for the moment when a club might come in and tempt him sufficiently, but he said no. Willie was like, ‘this is my turf, I’ve built a fiefdom here, I’m going to conquer everything’.

To lead and dominate those around you but not subdue them is a really big skill.

He’s part of the Aberdonian culture forever now.

He is the greatest central defender Britain has ever produced; Bobby Moore would have cleaned his boots in honour of him.

Graeme Park, DJ

He was our greatest defender ever and perhaps Scotland’s greatest defender.

Apart from being the best defender Scotland’s ever produced, and the captain of Aberdeen, he is such a lovely man. I don’t think he realises how special or important he is to people like me.

That’s the best compliment I can give him – there’s not arrogance or self-importance about him. He’s just this bloke called Willie who happened to have lifted the Cup Winner’s Cup, Super Cup, Scottish league titles, Scottish Cups and League Cups. An absolutely wonderful man.