Kenny Miller: Dark days must never come back to Rangers

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FOR Kenny Miller, Saturday’s SPFL opener signals the dawn of new era.

 

The start of the second phase of a journey that’s dragged Rangers to hell and back.

 

From East Fife to Elgin, Annan to Arbroath, it’s taken the Ibrox club four years to travel the rocky road to redemption.

 

And, ahead of their return to Scottish football’s top-flight at home to Hamilton tomorrow, Miller insists it’s a ruinous path Gers must NEVER walk again.

 

The 36-year-old is in his third spell with Rangers, after living through one of the darkest chapter’s in the club’s history. And he reflected: “I don’t think anyone could have foreseen what happened.

 

“When I was here the last time it was well documented that there were financial issues. I think I came in at the same time as Steve Davis and Pedro Mendes, although Davo had been on loan the previous season.

 

“And I think Pedro was our last permanent signing for about two years. I think we only got loan players in. That in itself showed there was something wrong.

 

“For a club like this not signing players or improving their squad, there was always something in the background. But I don’t think anyone could have foreseen the problems that actually came.

 

“So for me it’s a case of making sure we don’t go back to that again.

 

“But that’s all behind us now. Since the gaffer has come in the message has always been ‘onwards and upwards’. We need to get the club back where it belongs, we’re moving forward and I can only see the club going one way from here on in.

 

“Football people know what the club has been through — they might not actually have experienced it — but they know the size of Rangers.

 

“They know what the club is about — it is about winning trophies in the top league, big European nights. They know that is what the club is about, it is up to us to bring that back.

 

“Perform week in, week out, and get the points which are required which are going to bring success back to the club.”

 

A sold-out Ibrox awaits Mark Warburton and his players tomorrow afternoon. Gers begin their quest for SPFL title glory at home to Accies and last night Miller confessed: “It will be emotional.

 

“Lee Wallace has spoken about the journey he has been on, he has been here every step of the way.

 

“There are a few lads left, not many, that have been here over the four years. But for people involved in the club, they know what it means.

 

“They all know how important it was that we got back into the top flight, and can challenge again at the top level of Scottish football and get those amazing European nights back to Ibrox.

 

“This is the start of the journey — the first step is done with promotion last year and now we can look forward to the season opener this weekend and what hopefully will be another successful season.

 

“I wasn’t here at any level lower than the Championship — although I was in here training over those two seasons as well.

 

“It was hard to see the club going into those fixtures which weren’t as glamorous as they could have been but what happened happened.

 

“We knew the steps it was going to take to get back and they are all part of the history now.

 

“It has been a long four years to be back in the top flight again and all of those games have played their part in getting us back to where we are now.

 

“You can only face what is in front of you, it was outwith anyone’s control. The games had to be played, the wins had to be put on the board and the leagues had to be won — it was as simple as that. It obviously took us a year longer than we would have liked but it has all been part of the rebuilding process.

 

“We are still going through that at the moment.

 

“There have been a lot of ins and outs over the last few years and obviously we are looking forward to this game on Saturday.

 

“A sell-out at Ibrox and unveiling the Championship flag as well.

 

“So it is back to where we belong and it is going to be business as usual going into that opening day, needing to get the three points to get our season off to a flyer.”

 

Miller — who was on hand to help promote Family Section season tickets yesterday — is hoping Warburton’s new-look Gers can hit

 

the ground running on their return to the big time.

 

He added: “For me the big change this season is with Rangers and Celtic in the top flight.

 

“Normally, even on the opening day, we play at the same time but you might get five or six games in the course of a season when they play at the same time, and four are when we are playing against each other.

 

“So there is an element of pressure there straight away.

 

“There is pressure every week when you play for these clubs but you are either playing catch up, or you have

 

a chance to assert pressure and go ahead.

 

“There is always something on the games.

 

“You will play earlier, or a day later, an early kick-off, or a late kick-off.

 

“There’s that added pressure of having to play catch-up or maintain a lead. If you have been over it, it is something you enjoy.

 

“There is a real focus on the games which maybe hasn’t been there for a few years.”

 

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