As reported by The Evening Times, former Rangers manager Alex McLeish has back veteran Kenny Miller to still play an important role for the Light Blues this season.
What’s the story?
Miller has been absent from Pedro Caixinha’s last two match squad selections, amidst reports of a bust-up between the player and the Portuguese.
However, having returned to first-team training, the prospect of him returning to the plans of Caixinha isn’t too far fetched and former boss Alex McLeish reckons his is still important to the dressing room at Ibrox.
As quoted by The Evening Times, McLeish said:
You don’t know what’s happened there on the inside until you get the full facts. But it seems like Kenny is back on board in terms of being welcome back to first team status. Whether he takes his place again or whether he is a super sub – and whether he wants to be a super sub or not – he is still very useful in that dressing room, especially if Pedro and him can have a good relationship.
At 37 years of age, Miller’s days as a regular starter for the Light Blues may be over, but can he still perform a ‘super sub’ role for Caixinha’s side?
A new role
With 250 appearances for Rangers in three spells at the club, Miller’s contribution to Rangers has been enormous, but this season his form has dipped and he’s struggled to contribute goals to the team either as a finisher or as someone who sets up his teammates.
Even if his relationship with Caixinha was perfectly normal, the case for him starting matches right now is hollow. However, he could do very well coming into games in the second half to give them the benefits of his match-winning experience and hard work, whether they are ahead or behind.
He is undoubtedly an influence on the dressing room, from the first team squad down to the U20s side, who he has helped coach, and having him around can only be a benefit to the club, even if he is not the trusted starter he once was.
Although he hasn’t found his scoring boots so far this term, he reaches double figures in a season more often than not and that’s a scoring contribution that Caixinha can’t afford to turn his back on.
