Kenny Miller sat down with the Daily Record this week and intimated that he would have had no problem moving to Rangers direct from Celtic back in 2007. The former Scotland international played for both clubs during his time in the game and also had two spells at Ibrox after originally signing for Dick Advocaat back in 2000 from Edinburgh side Hibs.
He didn’t make the grade at that time though and he subsequently left the Govan club to move to Wolverhampton Wanderers just 18-months later. After plying his trade in England for several years afterwards, the attacker moved back up the road to Scottish football with the Rangers’ fierce rivals Celtic in 2006. Gordon Strachan took the plunge and crossed the tribal lines to sign the quick striker but the move was only short-lived too.
After not really making much of an impression at Parkhead, Miller sought greener pastures in the form of Derby County and left Glasgow once again to head south and the lower leagues of English football. But the retired footballer has made the revelation that he would have moved direct to Rangers from the Bhoys had the opportunity arisen back then. Speaking to Daily Record, he said: “I had worked with the gaffer and Ally (McCoist) at Scotland so when they went back there it was like, ‘Right OK, this could be it. This could be my chance to get back there!’.
“We were maybe going to try to do it in January. But, because I had played a couple of games for Celtic at the start of that season and then moved to Derby, you can’t play for three teams in the same footballing year, so that killed it off which I was disappointed about. I was looking at every possible loophole to see if there was a way it could be done that January. I could have been the first player to play for both halves of the Old Firm in the same season. Incredible eh? That would have been a good quiz question!
He added: “But unfortunately it never happened because of the three team rule. I just knew I would end up back there at some point. I knew it. It could have maybe happened a bit earlier but I waited – it was seven years I was away from the club – before I came back in 2008 under Walter. It was just something, I just knew. Even with what happened with me going to Celtic in 2006/07. I still had that belief that something is going to happen and I’ll find my way back there.”
Paul Gillespie