TYNECASTLE loan star Lee Miller celebrates his 22nd birthday tomorrow - and would love to unwrap a new Hearts deal to mark the occasion.

Discussions between Bristol City and the Gorgie outfit over making his switch permanent have been dragging on for weeks and as the in-form striker comes towards the end of his agreement this weekend, he appears no nearer to discovering where he will be playing his first-team football next term.

With the former Falkirk front man having a year left to run on his contract at Ashton Gate - Bristol paid the Bairns £325,000 in the summer of 2003 to take him south - there is no desperate rush to resolve his future, although the presence of both City manager Brian Tinnion and chairman Steve Lansdown at Sunday’s match against Celtic set tongues wagging.

Miller chatted to Tinnion after the Jambos’ 2-1 defeat at Tynecastle and while insisting nothing specific was discussed, he has made it clear he can’t wait for the uncertainty to be cleared up once and for all.

"I spoke to Brian Tinnion after the game about a few general things," he said.

"I still don’t have a clue as to what is happening as regards my future and I’ll have to wait and see what develops.

"Ideally I would like to stay in Scotland as my family is up here. I went down to England for the challenge and experience and it opened my eyes to English football. It made me a stronger player but I’ve enjoyed my time here and hopefully we can get something sorted out."

Sunday’s opponents Aberdeen are among a number of clubs to have been alerted by Miller’s goal-scoring exploits since his arrival in Gorgie in January, the striker having bagged 11 goals in 22 outings as he kick-started his career in some style.

Having been offered the chance of a return to Scotland by John Robertson, Miller was disappointed to see the Gorgie legend sacked last week after refusing a lesser role in a revised coaching set-up.

Robbo’s departure left the strike star pondering his Hearts future but with the club promising a "big name" replacement to front Vladimir Romanov’s Tynie revolution, the forward gives the impression he would be happy to see his stay in the Capital extended.

"One of the big reasons I came to Hearts was John Robertson and the plans he had for the club," he said.

"He brought me here and gave me the chance to show what I can do. He put a lot of faith in me and I owe a lot to him as I have kicked on from there.

"We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the new manager. I will have to sit down at the end of the season and size up all my options and see what is best for me and my family."

If it transpires that Tynecastle is not to be his home for next season, Miller wants his future thrashed out one way or another as the summer holidays approach.

The continued speculation has been a source of frustration for the Gorgie hit man, who picked up his second Bank of Scotland Player of the Month award last week.

"There have been a couple of times when I thought the deal was going to go through but for some reason it fell down at the final hurdle," he said.

"You never know, Sunday’s match against Celtic could well have been my last match for Hearts at Tynecastle.

"I’m not aware of what has been happening behind the scenes and hopefully something can be sorted out as this has been dragging on for some time.

"There’s been speculation about interest from Aberdeen as well as other teams. I want my future sorted out as regards the security side of things. I have enjoyed my time here and if that does prove to be my last home game for the club, I have enjoyed every minute of my time at the club. The supporters have been great to me ever since I arrived at the club."

Miller found the going tough against the likes of Bobo Balde and Stanislav Varga in Sunday’s showdown with the Hoops, Craig Beattie’s second-half strike enough to clinch a narrow victory and maintain his side’s title charge.

The story could have been so different had Willie Young awarded the Jambos a late penalty for what appeared to be a foul by Beattie on Steven Pressley, with the experienced whistler instead dismissing the home skipper for diving in the box. It meant an unfortunate ending for the 31-year-old who had been a tower of strength at the back against John Hartson & Co.

While disappointed at seeing their valiant efforts ultimately fail to bring any reward, Miller was again encouraged by Hearts’ performance against the Glasgow giants.

"It was frustrating but I think we can take a lot of good points from the game," he said.

"We have played well against the Old Firm this season and have been unfortunate not to have taken more from the matches with them.

"That was the case on Sunday and while we thought it looked a penalty the referee has a difficult decision to make in a split-second.

"But that’s football and these things tend to even themselves out over the course of a season. The way we have competed against Celtic and Rangers this season, though, should give the team confidence for next season."

Miller’s stunning form in maroon over the past few months has put the striker on the threshold of a first cap, Scotland boss Walter Smith having included him in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Belarus next month.

His promotion to the international set-up alongside team-mates Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley, Andy Webster and Paul Hartley has given another huge lift to his already soaring confidence.

With the Scots in desperate need of victories to keep alive their hopes of reaching Germany, Miller’s goal-scoring form could not have come at a better time.

"Obviously I owe a lot to Hearts for giving me the chance," he said. "The Scotland call-up was brilliant and depending on what happens, that could give me the opportunity to put myself in the shop window again."

Taken from the Scotsman