KENNY MILLER is expecting a battle for a first-team place when he begins his second stint as a Rangers player.
Walter Smith has recruited the former Celtic player from Derby along with two other strikers, Kyle Lafferty from Burnley and Andrius Velicka from Norwegian side Viking Stavanger.
Already in the Light Blues squad are Kris Boyd, Daniel Cousin, Jean
-Claude Darcheville, Stevie Naismith and Nacho Novo, who fought for the attacking spots last season.
Miller began pre-season training at the club's Murray Park training complex earlier in the week and the 28-year-old knows a fight for one of two striking places is set to commence with a Champions League qualifier against either Kaunas or Santa Coloma at the end of July.
"It's good being back," he said. "Training has been good and obviously we know our first qualifier is going to be against Kaunas or the team from Andorra so we know what we have to do.
"That's why we are working now. There are three new strikers in and we have the four or five from last season.
"The manager wants that, he wants people to push others for places and keep them on their toes.
"It is a healthy sign for a club when you have competition all over the pitch.
"I'm sure the lads from last season will be trying to keep us out of the team so it's our job to take the places off them."
Miller claims it has been "so easy" to return to Ibrox for the second stint of his career.
The Scotland international played under Dick Advocaat during the 2000/01 season before moving to Wolves.
He said: "It's been so easy to come back. I've not had any nerves at all. Obviously when you move to a new club and you don't know anybody then it's a different ball game.
"There is a settling-in period but it's not been like that here.
"I know the majority of the lads, from playing against them and playing with them with the national team.
"And there are still some people here from my first time around. I know all the coaches and the management, so it's been easy to come straight in."
The full article contains 384 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
