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[BBC]
Hearts have proved adept at unearthing gems from relative European obscurity, but their next signing looks set to be from much closer to home.
Falkirk winger Calvin Miller is nearing a move to Tynecastle after impressing in his first full top-flight campaign.
At 28, Miller is in the peak years of his career, but what do the stats say about why Hearts - and their Jamestown Analytics recruitment tool - have targeted the former Celtic player?
A perusal of Opta's data for the 2025-26 Premiership campaign soon flags up Miller's impactful presence in a Bairns side that finished sixth on their return to the top fight following a 15-year absence.
Creativity and end product are essentials for a winger and Miller delivers on both fronts. His 16 goal involvements was the most in the Falkirk squad and seventh highest in the Premiership overall. Only striker Barney Stewart (8) topped Miller's league goal haul of seven.
It is clear Miller is not a winger content to merely hug the touchline - he had the most touches in the opposition box of any Falkirk player and all his goals came from inside the area. While mainly deployed on the left, he can play either flank or centrally and showed a comfort using either foot, netting four with his left and three with his right.
One aspect of his game he could look to improve is in finishing accuracy. He underperformed his xG (expected goals) of 10.06 by more than three, and had a low conversion rate of 8.86% from 79 shots, 23 of which were on target.
On chance creation, Miller is a Falkirk standout. He ranks first in John McGlynn's squad for assists (nine), chances created (60) and his 18 big chances created is three times more than any other Falkirk player as well as being second only to James Tavernier (19) in the top flight.
Miller also had the most passes into the box (250, including crosses), completed dribbles (35) and fast breaks (13) in the Falkirk squad.
A player of such talents will clearly be a major loss to the Bairns, but don't expect supporters to be up in arms at Miller's departure.
"He's been fantastic for us over the past three years since he signed. He's one of these guys that I don't think any Falkirk fan will grudge him a move up the way," said football writer and Falkirk supporter Gordon Waddell on the BBC's Scottish football podcast.
He added: "Miller hit his head off a few rungs on the ladder on the way down after he left Celtic. He went down south and had to work his way back up through Harrogate and Notts County and Chesterfield and Morton.
"And even when he signed for us, we were in League 1 at the time. John McGlynn has been outstanding for him and turned him now into the player everybody always thought he might be when he was a kid."
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[BBC]
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