THE BIG INTERVIEW
Says kenny miller
TO pinch a phrase from that old sitcom favourite, The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin, Kenny Miller didn’t get where he is today by shirking a challenge.
Three spells with Rangers, one with Old Firm rivals Celtic plus stints in England, Wales, Turkey and Canada, have proved the 37-year-old Scot to be a player for the ages.
And as he eyes another European campaign with the Light Blues that many thought would never come to pass, he has a blunt message for both the cluster of exotic new signings who would seek to take his jersey and his team-mates fearing the worst about their own positions.
“Prove you’re better – simple as that,” he said.
“If somebody wants to come in and take my place, then they’re going to have to be better than me and I’m not going to allow that to happen easily.
“So if you come in and prove you’re better, then you’ve got the jersey. If you don’t, you won’t.
“For the people who say, ‘We are bringing this guy in who is in my position’, just be better.
“You’re at a big club – every season there’s going to be new players brought in.
“If it’s in your position, then you’re just going to have to be better. Edurado Herrera will join them after work-permit details have been finalised and Graham Dorrans will do likewise, provided a transfer fee can be thrashed out with Norwich City.
“It’s been very positive,” said Miller.
“Bruno is away playing at the Confederations Cup and I don’t think many people will have doubts about him.
“He’s a well-known figure in football and should be a big signing for us.
“Fabio has come in and had a great 10 days. He speaks well, he leads, he demands and for a young lad he’s very vocal.
“Dalcio’s English isn’t as good as Fabio’s, so he’s finding it a wee bit harder to communicate with the lads.
“But as long as the manager gets the message across to him of what he expects, we should be OK.
“You can see his threat and the quality he’ll bring to the group.
“Graham Dorrans, meanwhile, would be a huge signing for us. We’d definitely be heading in the right direction if we can get a player of that quality.
“He’s an outstanding footballer, a guy who has played 10 years in England, all at Championship level or higher. In fact, probably more at Premier League standard.
“When I saw his name linked with us at the end of last season, I watched him for Norwich to see if he was still the player I knew.
“They played Brighton and he ran the game. I also met Russell Martin on holiday, who was very complimentary.
“Stevie Naismith reckons he’s maybe their best player. If we can get a player out of Norwich with his quality to this club, it would only be a positive thing for us.”
Pedro Caixinha will need as many options as he can, with the club’s involvement in the Europa League qualifiers giving them ties on June 29 and July 6.
“It is early, but in a couple of weeks we will be good to go,” said Miller.
“My last European game was against Bursaspor, where I scored. I had been there before and the fact that I played pretty well against them maybe helped me get the move to them.
“After that game, when I left for the second time, I didn’t think I would have a chance to come back to Rangers again.
“But, when I knew there was a possibility to return to the club again, then Europe becomes part of the thought process again, along with more Old Firm games.
“When you leave you think you will never experience a game of that