Stuart McMillan was born in Leicester on 17 September 1896. His father Johnny McMillan was a Scottish professional footballer and football manager,[2] then playing for Leicester Fosse after recently being transferred from Derby County.
McMillan also played first-class cricket for Derbyshire. His debut came in the 1922 season against Essex at Derby,[3] where, as a middle order batsman, he was unable to make much headway in the match, bowling a single, expensive over, conceding 14 runs, and finishing not out for 0 in the only innings in which he batted. As there was no play on the first day of the match, it was to end in a draw with the best batting performance of the game coming from Essex's centurion Peter Perrin.
McMillan made just one appearance during the following season, and had to wait for more than thirteen months before making his final two appearances, both at home, in 1924. While he scored well in the first match of the season, his second finished with him getting out for a duck.