EMOTIONAL Tommy Miller yesterday swopped life in Division Three for a Premier future with Ipswich Town - and promptly walked into a jovial bout of family trouble.

Miller swiftly completed his transfer to Portman Road after holding talks with George Burley yesterday morning. He has signed a four-year deal.

The Tractor Boys are believed to be paying a fee of around £800,000 for the 22-year-old who hails from Shotton Colliery.

But the free-scoring midfielder is already bracing himself for a friendly backlash on August 18, when Ipswich open their Premier League campaign with a visit to the Stadium of Light.

"To be honest, I'm still in a daze,'' he admitted. "But I've looked at the fixtures and cannot believe it's Sunderland in the first game.

"My girlfriend's Dad is a massive Sunderland fan and he's had a season ticket for 20 or 30 years - he's going to slaughter me. At least he won't be asking for tickets! It's unbelievable how things like that happen.''

Crewe and Coventry also had bids accepted and Miller spoke to both clubs over the weekend, but deep down he knew he wanted the chance to return to the club that rejected him as a 15-year-old schoolboy because they felt he wasn't big enough to make the grade.

After talks with Sky Blues' chief Gordon Strachan on Saturday, Miller was booked in for a second round yesterday afternoon, but that was swiftly cancelled after meeting Burley.

"Both Coventry and Crewe would have been excellent moves. Gordon Strachan is an excellent bloke and I was very impressed with his plans for the club,'' he said.

"But I spoke to George Burley and straight away it was a case of 'yes, yes, definitely' - I think to be honest my mind was half made up before we spoke.

"Common sense says that the Premier League is the biggest League in the world and Ipswich are in Europe as well. When I was here I loved the place, so to come back is a dream.''

Miller has spent six years at Victoria Park, ending the last two as both leading scorer and part of the PFA team of the season. After making his debut in as a substitute in a 3-1 defeat a Chester in October 1997, he went on to chalk up 142 League appearances, netting 35 times.

His overall Pool record is 44 goals in 160 outings.

Miller also has the distinction of netting Pool's last goal of the 20th Century - at Lincoln on December 28, 1999 - and their first of the 21st Century, a penalty against Rochdale on January 3.

And after coming up through the youth ranks at Victoria Park, Miller sent a big thankyou to the fans for their support.

"No matter what happens, I will always look for Pool's results,'' he admitted. "I've had six great years there from a trainee to a professional and the supporters have been great to me. They have supported me from the start and I will never forget what they have done for me.

"When I first broke into the team it was hard for me and I wasn't scoring many goals, but they were behind me. I can remember my first goal against Cambridge and I can remember my last against Cardiff and I will always remember them.

"It's a shame we didn't go up last season, we were so close and it would have been great to sign off by winning promotion - but I am sure they will do it next season.''

The transfer smashes Pool's previous record sale - the £300,000 received from Chelsea for Joe Allon in 1991 - and Miller admitted: "That's got nothing to do with me. I'm glad in a way it's not a million pounds - maybe if it was there would be a bit more pressure on me.

"I'm just pleased that Hartlepool have done well out of it.''

Miller will jet out later this week to meet his new teammates on tour in Finland before joining them in Estonia, but will say his farewells to the Pool squad at their Peterlee training base today.

"I've made some great friends at the club and I'll miss the players. Now I just need a bit of time to get my head around it all.

"At times I still think I'm dreaming. It's going to take some time to sink in; leaving Pools is an emotional time for me and I'm very, very sad to go.

"But things move on in football and I want the chance to play at the highest level I can and prove myself. The time is right for me to move, I've had two great seasons.

"But the Premier League season doesn't start until a week after Pools play Mansfield, so hopefully I'll be able to be there.''

Burley said: "Tommy is a young player and of course he cannot be guaranteed a first-team place here right away, which he might be at other clubs.

"He is a bright and talented midfield player who can score goals, but he is not the finished product by any means yet.

"Our chief scout Colin Suggett watched him many times in action last season. I have seen him several times myself and been very impressed with his skills and his attitude to the game in general.

"In the past we have taken several young players from lower leagues who have been a success with us. I'm hopeful that Tommy will become another.

"Tommy has a tremendous goal scoring record over the last two seasons for Hartlepool and at the age of 22 he has enormous potential to make a top class Premiership player with Ipswich Town.

"Matt Holland and David Johnson were both released from clubs as youngsters, but that can be character-building, and all credit to Tommy, he took it on the chin and shown he is good enough to come back.''

* Pool boss Chris Turner is hoping to sign former Sheffield Wednesday striker Ritchie Humphies after he stalled on a new contract offer from Cambridge.