BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport
CRAIG HALKETT insists Kenny Miller was already a manager-in-waiting as he led by example at Rangers.
And the Livingston skipper is adamant the rookie gaffer is already making his mark with the Lions.
Halkett, 23, was on the books at Ibrox as a teenager while Miller starred for the first-team, and the striker’s exacting standards and winning mentality left an indelible imprint on his development.
Those are the philosophies Miller has already brought to the training pitch in his first full week as player-boss after officially replacing David Hopkin in the dugout on Saturday.
“I was delighted when it was confirmed that Kenny was coming in,” Halkett said. “I actually spoke to him over the summer when I heard he was in the running and he was hugely excited about it.
“That was a big part in me signing on for the season.
“I was only a young boy at Rangers at the time, but Kenny was one of the senior players you would always look up to. He gave 100 percent every training session and demanded high standards.
“He was a top professional, so it will be massive to have him passing on all that knowledge to the boys here.
“We’ve had a good few chats over the first few days and I think everyone is really excited about the season ahead. He has been a breath of fresh air. He has come in with his own ideas, a desire to put his own stamp on the team and you can see he is a good coach.”
While impressed by the impact already made by Miller as a coach, Halkett reckons the prospect of the former Scotland internationalist leading the line in attack is a remarkable coup for the Premiership newcomers.
Ex-Celtic striker Scott McDonald suggested that the toll of combining both roles would prove too much for Miller, who was linked with St Mirren and Aberdeen after leaving the Gers, but Halkett fully expects him to thrive.
“It’s a strange situation, where you have all this focus on him coming in as the manager – it’s easy to forget the quality of player we are getting,” continued Halkett. “For Livingston to get a player of the calibre of Kenny Miller is amazing. I think, on and off the pitch, he’ll be great for us.
“The fact you had teams like Aberdeen, a top side in the country, showing interest in Kenny speaks volumes for the ability he still has and I’ve no doubt he’ll be a really important player for us.”
After getting his feet under the desk, Miller oversaw his first friendly on Tuesday evening as Livi claimed a 5-1 win over Queen’s Park.
The competitive action begins a week on Saturday when he takes his new charges to face Airdrie a week on Saturday in a Betfred Cup group that also includes Hamilton, Annan and Berwick Rangers.
However, Halkett admits the Premiership opener against Celtic at Parkhead looms larger than anything else.
“I think the boys would be lying if they said we weren’t already buzzing for the opening day of the season at Parkhead,” said Halkett. “It’s a massive occasion to look forward to and a massive reward for the hard work of the last couple of years.”
