Local soccer player Miles Milliner has been playing in stadiums across the globe
Soccer left-back Miles Milliner, 16, has been kicking big goals over the last couple of years, and now the Cromer resident has joined the national junior team once again. It’s a continuation of success for Miles, who says that part of his motivation is to ‘make my family proud.’
The Year 10 Pittwater House student is part of the 20-player Subway Joeys squad which represented Australia at the 27th International Youth Football in Niigata, Japan in September. The team competed against Under 17 teams from Wales, Japan and the Niigata selection side. The Joeys came away with a 2–1 win against Wales, and were defeated in the other two games.
While the tournament was staged for players born in 2008 (U17 age group), Australia took a predominantly U16-based squad as part of its preparation for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, which will be held in November this year.
Playing an age division up is nothing new for Miles. In April this year he was just 15, playing for the U17 Joeys 2025 squad at the Asian Cup – the youngest member on the team. He also started the year playing with the U20 Manly United Football Club team.
“(The Asian Cup) was a bit of a rollercoaster tournament, and we ended up being really unlucky not to qualify for the World Cup,” Miles says. “By one goal pretty much. But it was a really good experience.”
Miles (left) played in the Asian Cup in April
Then in May, Miles headed to China with national squad for the Hohhot U16 tournament, where he had the chance to play in front of a 25,000-strong crowd.
His form in the games impressed those around him, and Miles, who spent his younger years playing with the Collaroy Cromer Strikers club, was made offers to join various clubs. “It was a hard decision to make – where to go and what advice to take, but we (decided) to go to with Sydney FC.
“It’s a bit of a step-up, intensity-wise, but it’s something I needed to do and I enjoy it there,” says Miles, who has played with both the U20 and Premier League Sydney FC teams.
Miles juggles his studies with training four days a week. He’s keen to make his family proud, as his parents have long supported his soccer career.
His ultimate goal is to ‘make a career out of football.’ “Playing in Europe, the top five leagues over there professionally – that’s the dream,” he shares. “The position that (I’m in) in now, it would be silly not to wake up every day and want to make that dream a reality.”