Kenny Miller on agony of leaving Rangers out of the back door with a bin bag

[ian1964 10,724]

KENNY MILLER was shown the door by Rangers.

What hurts to this day is that it was the one at the back.

The striker gave the Ibrox club everything he had in three separate spells.

In return they handed him a BIN BAG to clear his locker and go.

Miller’s crime was to stand alongside club captain Lee Wallace and demand higher standards from a Graeme Murty team that lost 4-0 to Celtic in a Scottish Cup semi-final.

An independent SPFL tribunal eventually cleared their names and reputations.

But the damage had been done.

And Miller will never forget the way he exited the club he’d scored 116 goals for in 301 appearances.

The striker, who has just signed a 12-month deal with Partick Thistle at 39, told SunSport: “It’s not been a great 14 months,  having left Livingston after only a handful of games as manager and then being  relegated with Dundee.

“But leaving Rangers in the manner I did was the worst part of that because of what the club means to me and the things I have achieved at the club and the service I gave.

“Big Waldo had the same kind of ending and I’m sure he will feel the same. It was very disappointing.

“I’m glad I’m here now with good football people with good values, the right values, that are going to do things in the right manner.

“That’s another good positive point.

“But I left Rangers out the back door with a black bag over my shoulder and not a person at Murray Park.

“I saw wee Jean and a few people in the kitchen and that was it.

“It’s disappointing when you  have known people as I had over a long time.

“I had eight years of service spanning an 18-year spell. It was disappointing, but listen that was out of my hands.”

Wallace was also shunned at Rangers merely for shining a light on the drop in standards under Murty.

Even then he tried to work his way back into the side last season but Steven Gerrard refused to pick him despite the fact he was  crying out for a left-back.

Asked if Wallace was a victim, Miller added: “Of course he was. I don’t know how things went, but I don’t think many would have felt Lee Wallace wasn’t good enough to play for that team.

“The thing is he is not one for looking back. He will be looking forward to this season now he’s signed for QPR.

“It’s a new challenge for him after eight years at Rangers.

“But he will be disappointed how it ended.”

Wallace was given a great send-off from Rangers supporters at the end of last season, with punters also showing their appreciation for Miller when he returned with Dundee.

But the striker added: “It was nice, but it doesn’t really make up for how it ended.

“The fans have always been the fans — they’ve always been supportive not just of myself.

“They supported the club through real tough times when there was a demotion to the bottom league.

“I still remember turning up as a fan when there was 50,000 against Peterhead in Division Three. It was phenomenal.

“The fans have always been supportive through all of this process — probably more so over the last few years because of what the club has been through.

“So it was nice to receive that kind of reception that day.”

It’s amazing to think that this time last year Miller was manager of Livi — only for his tenure as boss to come to a sudden halt, with No 2 Davie Martindale influencing a change and the subsequent appointment of Gary Holt.

Miller added: “It was frustrating, in a lot of senses, with how it went at Livingston.

“But everybody knows why we left, you don’t need to speculate on that. It was frustrating because of how it was actually going but,  listen, that is all in the past.”

Miller is now looking ahead as a Partick Thistle player with his winning mentality as strong as ever. For the 39-year-old, it’s what keeps him going.

He added: “I do believe it is down to mentality.

“You need to be strong to keep getting out of your bed every morning to come and do it. It doesn’t get any easier, but I want to do it. I still want to play, I still want to score as many goals as I can.

“I am driven to go and win this league this season. There is absolutely no doubt that if you give up on it you are not going to be capable.

“I could talk all day about it. I have spoken to many a younger player about it. I have spoken  to older players about it and  listened to what they have said as well.

“For me, the minute you take a session off that is you on a slippery slope. You hear many a player saying, ‘Ah well, I need looking after, I need the Monday off’.

“You need to go and pull the boots on and get out there training. I still train hard. I don’t take any time off.

“When you start to accept that that’s the road you’re on, then you will go down the slippery slope.”

Working with Gary Caldwell was one of the big attractions for Miller when Thistle made their pitch to snap him up after he quit Dundee.

The striker added: “Gaz and I have talked about this for years and years — this isn’t something that’s just come about in the last two or three weeks.

“We talked about this ten years ago, potentially working together on the other side.

“I probably couldn’t have imagined I’d still be playing at this age but I’m here now to benefit his team on the training field every day and out on the pitch.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4433509/kenny-miller-rangers-exit-agony-back-door-bin-bag/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1562016709

[ranger_syntax 4,328]

Miller is disappointed about how it ended?

 

Why didn't he mention this before?

[pete 2,499]

I hope he returned the bin-bag.

[MacK1950 2,378]

3 hours ago, ranger_syntax said:

Miller is disappointed about how it ended?

 

Why didn't he mention this before?

He has let a substantial amount of water run under the bridge and although he is supposedly speaking to a tabloid has said nothing to hurt Rangers IMO.

[Bill 13,717]

Looks like one of their pre-approved rainy-day stories that was written months ago, to be used when the subeditor is too drunk to turn up

[der Berliner 3,747]

Still no axe to grind with him. Not always my favourite, but he came here and did his job 100 %, helped us through the leagues and ... I reckon anyone of us on here in that dresssing room after the 0-4 would be in prison now, rather than being ostracized by the club. We never really know what happened, but a club official should have been there on that last day, no matter what. Comes with dignity and stature, IMHO.

[Tannochsidebear 2,413]

Dry your eyes wage thief.

[ranger_syntax 4,328]

Has Kenny Miller ever acknowledged any culpability of his own in this?

[MacK1950 2,378]

53 minutes ago, ranger_syntax said:

Has Kenny Miller ever acknowledged any culpability of his own in this?

As we do not know what happened it is likewise with culpability was he?.

[RANGERRAB 3,677]

2 hours ago, MacK1950 said:

As we do not know what happened it is likewise with culpability was he?.

I think it’s fairly obvious what happened after that SC SF.

The Rangers directors had to make a choice between a stand-in manager & 2 staff members who took it upon themselves to seemingly take charge of first team affairs judging by their alleged words & actions.

In the end there was no choice.