Hull City beating Leeds United and Burnley to signing looks a masterstroke: View | OneFootball

Liam Millar has been excellent for the Tigers since joining in the summer.

Hull City have struggled in 2024/25 so far, but after picking up their first win of the season against Stoke City, hopes are high that the Tigers can pick up form.

A big reason behind their win last Friday was Liam Millar, who joined Hull from Swiss side Basel in the summer for €3.5 million on a three-year deal after impressing on loan at Preston North End in the Championship last year.

Lilywhites fans were very disappointed that they were not able to secure the services of the winger for at least another campaign, and they are not the only club in the second tier of English football that will have the same feeling of regret.

Burnley and Leeds United were reportedly also in competition for the Canadian, however, with those two having plenty of options on the wing, it was Tim Walter's side who won the race for the 24-year-old, who turns 25 on 27 September.

Nevertheless, after his showings at the start of the season, both the Clarets and the Whites may wish that they had pursued a deal for Millar further.

Burnley and Leeds may be envious of Hull

Although their league positions are very different currently, there is the possibility that Burnley and Leeds will have a bit of jealousy over Millar.

The Canadian has already provided two assists for his new team, setting Ben Slater up for the Tigers' second of the game against Stoke in their 3-1 victory.

Millar has created six chances for Hull already this season and he has been the stand-out attacker after a relatively poor start to the campaign following their close brush with the play-offs in 2023/24.

Both himself and his manager will be hoping that his form can continue, much to the envy of Burnley and Leeds.

The Whites have had a couple of issues with injuries. Dan James has missed the last three matches due to a hamstring injury, and a player such as Millar would be perfect to fit straight in and keep the team firing.

Scott Parker, while he has found more consistency in his team in the opening games of the season, may still regret not signing the Canadian.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson left the club at the end of the transfer window for the second time that summer and Millar could have provided the depth that they may lack as the season progresses.

Walter needs Millar to carry on performing to avoid the sack

Although other clubs may be looking at Hull with a bit of jealousy, Millar's performances in the coming weeks will be imperative to Walter keeping his job.

The German is under pressure following the Tigers' dismal start to the new campaign. Nevertheless, there is light at the end of the tunnel following their first win.

Hull showed signs that the team are finally starting to click against Stoke, and Walter started to prove that his football does work in the Championship. Millar will need to keep providing off the wing, and goals will be needed as the months roll on, but he has made an extremely solid start to life in Humberside.

The Canadian played just 45 minutes against the Potters but proved to be a nuisance for the opposition. He completed 90% of his passes and was also excellent at tracking back. He won five of his eight duels, racking up three recoveries, as per FotMob.

Despite a good start for Stoke in the first half, the substitution of Millar proved to be a nightmare for Narcis Pelach, whose defenders seemed to have no answers to his movement.

If Walter's team start to finally turn the corner, and his Canadian ace continues this form, there may be confusion among the Elland Road and Turf Moor crowds as to why they did not press on with their interest in the winger.