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Ricky Miller is fired up by the prospect of leading Dover to safety after returning to Crabble.
Miller scored 68 goals in 101 games in his first spell, including 42 in one season, and is targeting another National League golden boot.
He’s determined to show fans he’s still got all his old magic and help keep the club in the division.
Dover’s 12-point deduction, for failure to fulfil fixtures last season, only adds to the challenge for the 32-year-old.
“I’m so excited to be back,” said Miller, who played the best football of his career at Dover. “I’m already feeling that extra motivation.
“I’m looking forward to picking up where I left off and showing people I’m still the player I was.
“It’s such a nice feeling to be back - I can’t wait for that first home game.
“I can reach the levels of before, 100 per cent. If I’m settled in my outside life - which I am - then I can concentrate on football.
“The last two golden boot winners in the National League have scored 23 and 20, Michael Cheek and Scott Quigley.
“I got 40 in only 34 starts where I was suspended and then Chris Kinnear left me out for a couple of games as a punishment.
“I want to finish top scorer again. My aim for the season is 30. Whether it’s possible, I don’t know, but I’ll be giving it everything.
“Starting on -12 points doesn’t faze me at all - it gets me going.
“Some people might feel intimidated by that or see it as a negative but I see it as a positive.
"Obviously we feel hard done by but if we can step up and prove we can stay up, it will feel like promotion.
“It’s a good carrot for us and I’m looking forward to chalking those points off, as soon as possible.
“If we can be in positive equity after 10 games we can look up from there and kick on.”
Miller will be playing under a different manager at Dover this time, of course.
He enjoyed big success under Kinnear but has heard nothing but good things about Andy Hessenthaler.
“I’m looking forward to working with Andy,” said Miller.
“I spoke to a few people about him and he knows how to get the best out of players.
“Obviously I had a good time with Chris but they’re completely different people.
“Andy was captain for Tony Pulis at Gillingham, which speaks volumes.
“I’ve met him a couple of times and spoken to him quite a bit, and he means business.
“He’s the sort of guy who will give you a platform but you can’t let him down. He doesn’t take any rubbish.”
Miller left Whites for a Football League move to Peterborough at the end of the 2016/17 season.
It was one he couldn’t turn down but the affection for Dover remained and it was one of the old faces from his first spell, kit manager Richard Harvey, who’s proved instrumental in getting him back.
“I’ve kept in touch with Richard over the years, he’s a really nice fella,” said Miller.
“He asked if I’d be interested in coming back, I said of course I would, and he got the ball moving. Credit to Rich.”
