SCOTS ARE STOCKED WITH GOAL GETTERS, SAYS MILLER

THE responsibility of being Scotland’s source of goals against high-class opponents often weighed heavily on Kenny Miller. Assiduous in attack, he was handed many a thankless task and deployed as lone frontman during a 69-cap career.

Highlights such as the equaliser for a Berti Vogts team against then World Cup runners-up Germany at Hampden 12 years ago made many of those nights of hard graft for no reward seem worthwhile.

From the vantage point of international retirement ahead of Germany’s return to Glasgow, Miller could look on with envy at the support cast available to Gordon Strachan’s main strikers Steven Fletcher and Leigh Griffiths.

However, it is with great faith that he expresses a belief that the spread of Euro 2016 scoring — with Ikechi Anya, Shaun Maloney and Steven Naismith among the Group D goals — can continue after the blank in Tbilisi, Scotland’s first since November 2013.

Miller (right) said: ‘We are strong in that position. Fletch is the one with the jersey at the moment, he’s played in the Premier League a long time and is experienced at that level. But I’m sure Griffiths will push him, he’s had a fantastic start to the season.

‘For me, Naisy can definitely play there, too, and has so done under the manager. Everybody brings a different strength to the role and, with this group, we have more than enough options in those positions around the striker to hurt any team.

‘With the way they’re playing, maybe the role has slightly changed. The manager looked at players at his disposal and had done a fantastic job getting that to gel.

‘Whether it be Ikechi on one side, with the pace and threat that he provides, or with Naisy you know what you’re getting — a very clever footballer who will get goals as well.

‘I see Shaun has come back and I’m sure he’s happy on home soil because, for me, that travelling was an effort and very tough. You find it hard to prepare.

‘I’m sure you’ll see a reinvigorated Maloney as well. Mention the lads who are missing from the squad — Ross McCormack and Jordan Rhodes — and you see how well we’re covered. I think it’s being realistic that we can win any game, so there is no reason why we can’t get something against Germany.’

Miller’s strike beat German legend Oliver Kahn in the second half of a Euro 2004 qualifier in June 2003 to secure a 1-1 draw, helping Scotland to reach a play-off berth.

That ultimately led to disappointment and a heavy defeat in Holland, but not before the Dutch were downed 1-0 in the first leg as the national stadium once again lifted a Scotland team to a result against an elite nation. Miller hopes that magic can be transferred to a Monday for the visit of the world champions.

‘The Germany game was one of those Saturday afternoons when Hampden was rocking and the players responded to a fantastic atmosphere, to a big game against the World Cup runners-up,’ he recalled. ‘It was a big goal for a striker coming up against their defenders and Kahn in goal.

‘At 1-1, I thought we could have gone on to win. That was the disappointment on the day.

‘Like a lot of the games at Hampden, when the likes of Spain, France, Holland and Italy come, we’ve always risen to the occasion. We’ve maybe not performed as well as we should have consistently over a campaign but, come the big games at home, we were always more than a match. ‘That Saturday afternoon, fullhouse feeling was definitely something, as players, we talked about. It’s changed to Thursdays, Fridays, pretty much any day.

‘Whether we lose that a bit or not, everybody has to look forward to the next few games where we still have an opportunity to make a major

finals.’