Pedro Caixinha, the Rangers manager, yesterday declared that he is very much in charge at Ibrox and insisted that he won’t be rushed into making a decision on Kenny Miller’s future at the club.
During a pre-match press conference, in which the 46-year-old took the unusual step of naming his starting line-up for tonight’s encounter with Kilmarnock, Caixinha hailed the contribution made to the Rangers cause by the veteran campaigner, Miller, who is out of contract in the summer.
Miller, who won’t start at Rugby Park, has already expressed his desire to stay with Rangers while admitting it would “hurt” if his long association with a club came to an end.
Read more: Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has not given up on second place in the league
“Just because I haven’t spoken to Kenny or anyone else, it means nothing regarding their continuation here or having their contracts ended,” reasoned Caixinha. “Will I have the final say on that? If not, I’m doing nothing here. I am the one who chooses the time. Not him, not you, not anyone.”
During a turbulent campaign, Miller has been a shining light for Rangers with his tireless industry and goal scoring prowess.
Caixinha added: “I cannot play because I’m 46-years-old and we all have some limits.
“But when you are in those moments you can call it like outliers. That’s when something is out with the average. It’s too fantastic and Kenny is at that level.
“He’s doing great and he’s a player I like to have in the squad because I’m not playing and I can’t be on the bench with a remote control so you need to have coaches [on the pitch] as well, players with that experience and understanding of the game.”
Read more: Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has not given up on second place in the league
“Behind the football player, you have a man. In Kenny’s case, it’s not a young man. It’s a family man. When you are taking the decisions, you are not just affecting the footballer, you are affecting everything.
“When I have one decision and that decision is not to continue, they need to know that from me directly.
“This is part of my way of seeing life, being frontal, being current and telling people what I think at that exact moment. “I don’t want people to feel regret about nothing. They need to know the decision from me, for better or worse.”
Meanwhile, the Rangers captain, Lee Wallace, could miss this month’s Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic after being ruled out for up to four weeks following abdominal surgery.
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