Exclusive:Calvin Miller's talks with Derek McInnes and his value to Hearts ahead of Rangers meeting

Being Hearts’ top goalscorer is a privileged position which Calvin Miller doesn’t take for granted. Perhaps his popularity among supporters is slightly understated given regular chants devoted to team-mates Josh McPake, Claudio Braga and James Wilson. Be under no illusion, though, that Miller is something of a Tynecastle talisman. His value to the club is already considerably higher than the six-figure transfer fee paid to Falkirk in June.

Seven goals and one assist from 20 appearances in maroon is good going for a winger. The 28-year-old celebrated his latest goal at Motherwell on Sunday, a stunning strike from 20 yards which secured a 2-0 Hearts victory. He came on as substitute at Fir Park but it would be astonishing were he not back in the starting line-up for Wednesday’s match with Rangers. “If I’m not starting on Wednesday, there could be a problem,” he laughs during an exclusive Edinburgh News interview. “I’m joking. Whatever happens, everybody wants to play every game, don’t they?

“I’ve got my own plan for Wednesday regardless of the situation. That excitement of playing at Tynecastle on a midweek night against Rangers is what you want. You want to go and cause upsets. I want to play every game, so here’s hoping. I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve got a good record at Tynecastle and the big games excite you. I’m hoping I’m a starter on Wednesday and that I can go and put in a good performance, along with a good team performance. That would set us up even better for the semi-final against Hibs on Sunday.”

Hearts are undefeated in home league fixtures since April 2025, but this one carries extra significance. Derek McInnes is returning to Tynecastle as Rangers manager for the first time since leaving Gorgie for Glasgow in June. It was McInnes who approved the move to sign Miller last season and held talks with he player about how he could thrive at Hearts. He was correct.

“Funnily enough, before coming here, I had a few sniffs around me,” reveals Miller. “I remember playing the second-last game of the season against him [for Falkirk] and really trying to make an impression because I thought I was potentially coming to Hearts. He’s a manager who liked me and wanted me here, so it’ll be nice to come up against him. I don’t think he’ll get a nice reception, right enough!

“He knew that I was a Scottish core player, a bit older, who could keep a changing room in shape and keep everybody really chilled and together, as well as be a big part of success because I’d had success with Falkirk. It was just about keeping that momentum going. I think he liked me as a winger and, when I thought he was going to be the manager here, I was excited. But I’m excited for the gaffer here as well. He seems to like me too, and that’s all you can do: Make sure people have a good impression of you.”

There is no doubt that McInnes’ successor, Wouter Vrancken, rates Miller highly. He was only left out at Fir Park to avoid burnout for one of Hearts’ key players. “I think I might have played the most out of the boys in terms of starts,” says Miller. “Sunday might only have been my second game as a sub so, in that sense, he must have a lot of trust and faith in me as well. I can only take that as a compliment and hopefully repay that faith with good performances.”

Leathering 20-yarders into the net as a substitute will do his case no harm. Miller talks through his goal at Motherwell with the enthusiasm of an excited kid. “When Motherwell fling bodies forward that much, there is space. There was a lot of space on the inside,” he recalls. “With the way the conditions were, if the ball was getting hit long, the gaffer was telling me to get in that pocket and just be around all the second balls. That’s how I found myself in that situation, being inside.

“When the ball came out to me, I was just trying to get my touch settled. There was a wee pause before the shot, just so the ball could sit nicely, and then I struck it.” The goal completed Hearts’ first win outside Edinburgh since January. “It’s good to get the monkey off our back in that sense. It’s huge for us for the week going forward. It puts us in a nice, positive situation for Wednesday, and I’m looking forward to it.”