Miller v Beattie: the battle of the Jones boys will run and run

Most of the talk ahead of today's FA Cup quarter-final at St Mary's has predictably centred on Dave Jones's reunion with Rupert Lowe, the man who sacked him as manager of Southampton while he was clearing his name of sex allegations. But it is the on-field confrontation between the future strikers of England and Scotland that should offer the best subplot.

Southampton's James Beattie and Kenny Miller of Wolverhampton Wanderers have much in common. They are both young (25 and 23), have scored 19 and 18 goals respectively this season, and enjoy the distinction of having been given their breaks by Jones.

"I remember first seeing Beats when he was a young lad playing for Black-burn Rovers reserves with my son Lee," Jones recalls. "Even then I knew he'd be special. Kenny was a little different, in that he had had a taste of first-team football when he came here, but, yes, I guess it is true that I've played a small part in both their developments. That said, no matter how many chances or how much advice you give, any success is down to the players themselves. Both Beats and Kenny deserve their current praise. They've worked their socks off."

The hard graft is clearly paying off, as both strikers look set to lead their country's front line come next month's Euro 2004 qualifiers. "With the scoring streaks these two are on," Jones points out, "you have to say that they deserve to be looked at at international level. When you're scoring consistently in any division, it means you're full of confidence."

Miller is certainly in the form of his career. He has recently equalled Wolves' record by scoring in seven consecutive games. He might have failed to find the net in the eighth, but showed great spirit by securing a hat-trick in the ninth. "It's been that sort of a season for me," Miller smiles, "but don't start comparing me to guys like Steve Bull. I mean, he's a real legend and no one will ever wrestle that tag away from him. To be honest, I'm just really pleased things are working out now, because I had my bad times early on."

Like Beattie, Miller had to sit on the sidelines for a while before being given his chance to shine. "I picked up an injury early on in my Wolves career," the young Scot recalls, "and that set me back quite a lot. But I was always determined to prove myself here and I would never have given up."

Despite obvious similarities, not everything about Beattie and Miller is comparable. For a start, their styles of play are totally different. "Beats is a target man while Kenny is a striker who likes to play off," Jones explains, before elaborating on his current player. "I think Kenny has tremendous ability, although I don't think he has fulfilled his potential yet. He has to keep at it because he's a special talent. He scores goals, he has good feet, and he is an intelligent footballer. Like all Scots, he's got a temper, too, but I don't mind that. I like the fact that he is determined to fight for success."

Miller's rise to the top has taken longer than many expected. After he had made his early name as a prodigious talent at Hibernian, Rangers then came in for his services. He was immediately touted as the new Ally McCoist, the answer to Scotland's striking prayers. Miller, though, soon followed the same route as many Scots before him, and was promptly replaced by an expensive foreign signing.

"Unless you're an exceptional player, you simply don't get a chance at Rangers," Miller says. "It's so frustrating but I have no regrets about coming here. I'd say that the English First Division is as good as the Scottish Premier League anyway. This definitely wasn't a step down for me."

Miller has a point. Were it not for his move south, it is doubtful whether he would now be top of Berti Vogts' list of strikers. "I'm obviously really excited at the prospect of playing for my country again," he says of the news that the German has chosen him to lead the Scotland line. "I'm actually quite disappointed that I've only won one cap, and that was two years ago. I've been on the fringes for so long that I'm keen to nail a place now. Berti is helping Scotland turn the corner and I want to be part of that push for Euro 2004."

Despite his recent upturn in fortunes, Miller knows that success with his national team will only come through consistency with his club. "We came really close to the Premiership last season," he says, "and this year we're in the play-offs again, so we're getting things right. But the FA Cup is a really nice bonus, something for all the lads to enjoy.

"I'm particularly excited about showing what I can do against Premiership opposition. I know James Beattie will be a real danger to us because he is such a good, strong striker, but I'm determined to steal the limelight away from him." Not to mention Messrs Jones and Lowe.