DEREK PARLANE is confident Kenny Miller can continue to lead the way in Light Blue and remain an integral part of the Rangers forward line for some time.
The striker has made 18 appearances for Mark Warburton’s side this term and been one of the Gers’ top performers through a frustrating start to the campaign.
His strike against Inverness Caley Thistle last month was the 100th goal he has scored for the club and he shows no signs of fading in the twilight of his career.
Parlane was crowned the King of Ibrox Park during his trophy-laden time in Light Blue and he is pleased to see the elder statesman of the current squad still leading the way.
He told SportTimes: “At 36, I was winding down. Maybe I went too quick, I don’t know.
“But for Kenny to be doing what he is at 36 and show the work rate that he is showing is remarkable. He obviously keeps himself fit and he is a credit to himself.
“It was not something that was common in my day. I talk about this quite a lot.
“When I played in the position that Kenny plays, when I was getting the ball played to me nine times out of ten my back would be to the opposition’s goal.
“I had to not only think about taking the ball in, controlling it and thinking what I was going to do with it, but I had to think about getting clattered because the tackle from behind was still something that happened.
“The game has changed tenfold and in many ways it is almost a non-contact sport when you see some of the decisions that are made for fouls and how easily some players go down these days.
“It has definitely changed so maybe that had an impact on all the players from those days and helps the guys today.”
It has been a lacklustre few months for Rangers as they have struggled on their Premiership return and fallen well off the pace being set by Celtic.
Boss Warburton will hope that Miller can maintain his high standards to give his side the edge in the battle with Aberdeen and Hearts to be best of the rest this term.
And Parlane believes the forward will continue to be an example to follow on and off the park as he attempts to spark a revival at Ibrox.
He said: “You want to go on for as long as you can but players know when it is time to call it a day.
“I can remember someone saying to me early in my career that a player’s legs had gone.
“They were talking about the strength in your legs and when you fall you can pick yourself up and go again.
“That diminishes and as I got later in my career. When I left Rangers and went to England for a few years, you do feel as you get older that there is not that strength in your legs.
“Kenny is not showing any signs of that at the moment. He will want to play as long as he can. You don’t want stop playing.
“There will come a point, and he will know it himself, where that power and strength isn’t as good as it used to be but until then he will keep going for Rangers.”
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