Ibrox striker warns new arrivals they face a fight for the jersey
KENNY MILLER has welcomed Pedro Caixinha’s drastic overhaul of the Rangers squad but insists he will not give up his place in the team without a fight.
Manager Caixinha has already completed deals for five new players, with another three in the pipeline as the Ibrox club warms up for its first Europa League qualifier later this month.
Two of the players awaiting visa approval — Alfredo Morelos and Eduardo Herrera — are forwards but Miller is happy to use the competition as a spur.
‘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.
‘People who say: “We’re bringing in this guy who’s in my position”, just be better.’
That same attitude allowed Miller to see off Joe Garner, a Mark Warburton signing from Preston North End last summer.
Although it was Garner who carried a hefty £1.8million price tag, Miller was the player who emerged as the club’s most effective forward player, netting 14 times. Garner was this week sold at a loss to Ipswich Town as Caixinha’s clear-out gathers pace.
Not all of last season’s underachievers will be moved on this summer, however, and Miller insists they must use the incoming players as a spark for improvement.
He continued: ‘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 just have to show you’re betterequipped to do the role.
‘You can’t mump and moan because we’re signing players. Clearly, we need to sign players.
‘When you consider how far back we were last year, we need better players and we need better competition within the team.’
Colombian Morelos was in Scotland to finalise the terms of his transfer from HJK Helsinki last week and, at 20, is an investment in potential. The 28-year-old Herrera will be expected to play immediately but, even at 37, Miller will not give the Mexican a free run at a starting jersey.
‘When you’re a forward player, it’s the sharp end of the game you’re playing in,’ he added. ‘You’re always looking for improvement, so, if there’s a player available who will make your team better, you try to get him.
‘That area of the team is crucial. You need guys who can create and score goals. But if anyone is competing for my position, I just tell myself that I have to be better.’