|
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of former Celtic and Manchester United player Liam Miller, who died on Friday at 36 after battling oesophageal cancer. Miller was celebrated at St John the Baptist Church in rural Ireland, with leading names from Irish football paying respects. Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill and assistant manager Roy Keane were joined by former internationals John O'Shea, Denis Irwin, Kevin Kilbane and Kevin Doyle, as well as past managers Brian Kerr and Steve Staunton. Among the remembrances were that Miller lived his dreams and was a sportsman with decency, humour, honesty, integrity and humility. After the words of football anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" were read to the congregation, Miller's brother-in-law Dan Sheedy gave the eulogy. "To those who knew Liam best, Liam's legacy won't be about anything he achieved on a football pitch, though, on that, he achieved what was to most of us an impossible fantasy," he said. "Liam was that most rare of things. He lived his dreams. "He dreamed of playing for [his father] Billy's beloved Celtic -- and he did. He dreamed of playing for Man United -- and he did. And he dreamed of playing for Ireland -- and he did. "He achieved these dreams with a combination of his skill, sublime as it was, his humble personality and a fierce determination we have all seen resurface these last few of months. Football is not how we are going to remember Liam." Mourners heard how Miller was said to be in love with his wife, Claire, and that he gave every fibre of his being to his children's happiness. Among the gifts brought to the altar during the mass were football jerseys, rosary beads and photos of Miller's family, his First Holy Communion and his teammates. Miller won 21 caps for Ireland and won a European Championship for his country at under-16 level. He also played for Leeds United and Sunderland before spells in Australia and the United States and with Cork City. He is survived by his wife, Clare, and his three children, Kory, Leo and Belle. Miller was buried in the cemetery adjoining the St John the Baptist Church.
|
