Local native Steven Miller announces retirement

Longtime North Carolina FC midfielder Steven Miller is hanging up his boots after a career that saw the Ivyland, Pa. native log more than 200 appearances in professional soccer.

“It is bittersweet to announce the end of my professional soccer career,” the 31-year-old wrote in a message on social media last week. “While it is difficult to step away from the game that has been my job for the past 9 plus years and my passion for the past 25 years I will look back on my playing days with nothing but fondness. Many of my proudest memories have come from the soccer field, but what I will cherish most are the relationships I have built with teammates from all over the world, many of whom have become my best friends.”

The Council Rock North High School grad and former Ocean City Nor’easters standout began his professional career in Denmark with Jammerbugt FC after a successful college career at Colgate University. He played for the Wilmington Hammerheads and FC Tulsa (then-Tulsa Roughnecks) before first joining the North Carolina FC (then-Carolina RailHawks) on loan in 2015. He went on to log more than 10,000 minutes for North Carolina FC in 128 appearances.

“Steven has been an instrumental piece of North Carolina FC, both the team and the club, for many years,” John Bradford, who was Miller’s assistant coach during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, said in a news release. “Since his arrival to the club, he has led by voice and example on the field and brought a daily competitiveness that set the standard for the Carolina RailHawks and North Carolina FC men’s teams. I wish him the best in retirement and the certain bright future he has ahead.”

Miller has been coaching in the youth ranks for North Carolina since joining the team in 2015 and is the current coach of one of their U12 girls teams. Prior to college, Miller played youth soccer for FC Delco and the Reading Rage. He was born in Elkins Park, Pa.