With some players there can be a great culture shock when they discover that Carlisle United is situated in Carlisle, and not in the Manchester conurbation or on the edge of another major city.

Soon, the commute becomes a drag. Previous declarations of loyalty fizzle away. Some cannot get in and out of the place quickly enough. Cumbria is regarded as a distant workplace, an inconvenience, rather than somewhere to be.

The better ones engage fully with their surroundings, and in Tom Miller the Blues may have found such a man. Hailing from Ely in Cambridgeshire, the defender has travelled further than many to become a United player this summer, but does not sound like he is bothered by the change of scenery.

If anything, he is embracing it. “The area is a part of it for me,” he says. “My girlfriend loves the Lake District and so do I. It’s a little bit out there, somewhere we can get away, get my head down, and focus.

“We’ve visited the Lake District quite a few times. I’d only ever been to Carlisle once or twice, but Windermere we go to a lot, and Ambleside. We go up there with our dogs. Relaxing. It’s nice.”

Miller will not, though, be found admiring the view as he settles into the United team. At 25, and newly into the Football League after a spell at Lincoln City, the defender is in a hurry to impress.

In pre-season he has made an energetic start to United life, scoring twice and, it seems, nailing down a role on the right of Keith Curle’s defence.

Saturday’s league opener at Mansfield will form a fresh start for Miller. As he talks you through his journey so far it is easy to understand his determination to flourish now.

“I did my scholarship at Norwich, then went to Rangers; I went up there and started off doing well, but then I got some bad injuries which affected me,” he says.

“I did my cruciate ligament and broke my feet...a really frustrating time. From there I went to Ireland, to Dundalk, to try and get games and get fit again. I did well there and was going to go to Charlton.

“It’s a summer league out there, March to October, so I couldn’t join until the January. In December Phil Parkinson, the Charlton manager, got sacked along with all his backroom staff, which threw it up in the air.”

Immediately you see how a career can be knocked sideways without a moment’s notice. Denied his big move, Miller had to refocus and find some new reserves.

“I had a mate at Newport who said, ‘Come and play with us til the end of the season’,” he recalls. “I did that, and that was when I realised how difficult it can be to get out of non-league, which is quite a physical kind of level.

“There are some decent players in there but [the Conference] is a more of a results league and can be very scrappy. I’ve been in there ever since. I went to Lincoln, enjoyed my time there, and now I’ve got the opportunity in the Football League.

“I feel I’ve done well in the last couple of years, come on leaps and bounds. And for the first time in a while I feel really fit. I haven’t had any injury problems, which is nice...I think it’s a good time for me.”

Miller does not regret his winding route but is plainly happy to be above Conference level, after making strong progress in Lincoln’s side.

“It’s all been a big learning curve,” he says. “It’s been bit frustrating at times, because personally I feel I’m capable of playing higher than non-league, but I’ve enjoyed seeing Ireland, playing in Europa League qualifiers which was a good experience – we played away to Levski Sofia – and I’ve lived in a lot of different places, met a lot of different people.

“It’s been good. Hopefully now I can crack on and make those memories I always wanted.”

Miller emerged in United’s sights early into Curle’s reign last season. It took until June for their pursuit to reach a conclusion, and there are hopes he can now make an impression in an area of the team which many fans feel has been neglected by previous managers.

While it may be more as a wing-back than an out-and-out full-back that Miller will first be used, the defender is simply glad the chase ended how it did.

“The club had approached Lincoln in December or early January about taking me on loan,” he says. “Lincoln wouldn’t let me go in January because they wanted to keep me for the rest of the season, and they wanted me for next season as well. But come the summer my contract was up and it allowed me to move on.

“From the winter time I did think Carlisle might be an option for me next season, but I didn’t really let it affect me. That wouldn’t have been right for myself or my team-mates at Lincoln. I’d never do that, I give 100 per cent wherever I am.

“But I did keep an eye out, saw how [Carlisle] were doing, saw they finished strongly. As the deal was being done it was mainly Lee [Dykes], the chief scout, I was speaking to. The manager also talked about his ambitions for the club. Everything all weighed up as very positive. It would have been wrong not to come.”

Miller established a reputation for versatility at Lincoln, yet knows this can be both blessing and curse. Like many players he would prefer to establish a reputation in one position.

“I’d say I was an all-rounder,” he says. “I can do the ugly side, the tackling, the stuff you need to do. I think I’m good on the ball, calm in possession, can keep the ball when we need to play.

“I’m decent for goals from set-pieces or from open play when the ball’s crossed into the box. I like to get up and down the line the whole game. There’s a little bit of everything in areas I can improve, but I feel I will do that at Carlisle. I think it will make me much more of a complete player.

“As for positions, on the right is where I’d like to establish myself as a player and the conversations with the manager have suggested that as well. Over the years I’ve been moved around – centre-mid, centre-back – so it would be good to pin down a position.

“It’s nice to say you’re a certain position, so there’s no confusion. Over the years [being versatile] is something that’s...not so much held me back, but may have been a stumbling block, I suppose.”

Miller, on a one-year contract, comes across as confident but not in a brash way. There ought to be no place for shrinking violets as United try to change their fortunes, but the defender accepts he can take little for granted.

“I’m expecting a step up,” he says. “I’m not expecting it to be the same as it has been in the Conference. I know I’ve got to work harder and prove myself.

“Obviously every player wants to play as high as he can, and I want to play in the highest league possible. But I’m just setting myself short-term goals at the minute. That means coming to Carlisle, having a great season, showing to myself and everyone else that I am good enough for the Football League.”

One of 11 new signings aiming to lift United, Miller is eager for the start at Mansfield, and the challenge of making Carlisle a better side overall.

“When the fixtures came out, I admit I never realised how far some of the away games were,” he laughs, possibly thinking of Plymouth on a Tuesday night.

“But there are some big clubs in the league, and that’s nice to see. Mansfield away for the first game is not a bad one for me. It’s quite close to where my girlfriend and family are.

“As a team, from speaking to the manager, he has been very positive. He knows what he wants and expects. I think he’s going to get the most out of the players he’s got. Hopefully we can be up there, and not be a losing side or a struggling side. Hopefully we’ll be there or thereabouts.”