WAIT FOR IT!
I’ll call shots on Miller’s future, says Ibrox boss
PEDRO CAIXINHA last night insisted Kenny Miller would have to wait for him to deliver a final verdict on the veteran striker’s Rangers future.
Speaking on Monday, Miller admitted fearing the absence of any discussion over a new contract meant his time at the club was coming towards an end.
Caixinha says nothing should be read into that lack of movement, as he continues to assess the squad inherited from Mark Warburton, and offered warm praise of Miller’s qualities.
Pressed on why there was a delay given that positive appraisal of the 37-year-old, however, the Ibrox manager replied: ‘Because I am the one who chooses the time. Not him, not you, not anyone.
‘When I choose the time, for me, it will be the right time to pass on to him and all of the others.
‘I learned one thing when I was an assistant coach. Behind the football player, you have a man.
‘In Kenny’s case, it’s not a young man. It’s a family man, a father who
has a whole life behind him. When you are taking the decisions, you are not just affecting the footballer, you are affecting everything. ‘When I have one decision and that decision is not to continue, they need to know that from me directly. This is part of my way of seeing life, being frontal, being current and telling people what I think at that exact moment. ‘All the players who are included in our list now — if their contract is either about to end in May like Clint Hill or Kenny or whether they have longer contracts — they all finish under my supervision. ‘So just because I haven’t spoken to Kenny or anyone else, it means nothing regarding their continuation here or having their contracts ended. ‘That’s all I can tell you now. Will I have the final say on that? If not, I’m doing nothing here.’ Miller is not part of the injury-hit starting line-up Caixinha publicly named more than 24 hours ahead of tonight’s trip to Kilmarnock. Captain Lee Wallace is the headline absence, facing up to four weeks out following abdominal surgery. Miller has, however, played a significant role in the two previous Premiership matches under the Portuguese coach. ‘Football, for me, is not about age or experience,’ said Caixinha. ‘Kenny is doing great and he’s a player I like to have in the squad because I’m not playing and I can’t be on the bench with a remote control. ‘So you need to have coaches (on the pitch) as well, players with that experience and understanding of the game. ‘It’s important to have people in the squad who are role models for the others. ‘I’m a guy of character with a strong personality and I need to have players with those qualities as well in order for us to take things along. Otherwise, it’s difficult to deal with the demands.’