Recently retired Rangers striker Kenny Miller has opened up on growing up as a Gers fan and turning down the chance to sign for West Ham to join the Light Blues from Hibs.
After bursting onto the scene at Easter Road, Miller headed across the M8 to sign for Rangers in 2000 but very well could have ended up a Hammers player after they made a bigger offer than the Gers.
Miller, who went to a “few” games as a youngster, told Hibs boss Alex McLeish his preference was to join his boyhood heroes – with Leeds United having also bee interested.
“I grew up a Rangers fan,” Miller told Si Ferry on Open Goal.
“My cousin was a season ticket holder and he brought me through to a few games. My dad was a Rangers fan.
“I would think it was around about Christmas (1999), just before Christmas, there was quite a bit of talk I think. There was Leeds, that was always heavily rumoured, and then I signed a new contract in January.
“I was on holiday at the time and I’d left my phone on the bar. When I came back I had 30-odd missed calls from my mum, my dad and my agent. I thought, ‘What’s happening here?’
“Hibs had accepted a bid from Rangers and I think there was a bid from West Ham on the table as well.
“I met Alex [McLeish] at Gatwick Airport and he said, ‘This is what’s on the table, what do you want to do?’
“I said I wanted to go to Rangers. He said that was fine.
“I think there was a good bit more money on the table from West Ham. When he told me the way the bids were structured, it was a good bit less from Rangers.”
Miller recently hung up his boots after leaving Partick Thistle and has since embarked on a new career as technical director with A-League side Newcastle Jets.
The former striker would end up having three spells as a Rangers player and you wouldn’t bet against him returning to Ibrox in some capacity in the future.
Miller had plenty of success as a Ger winning three league titles and a single Scottish Cup and League Cup – as well as lifting the Championship and Challenge Cup during the Light Blues’ climb back up the leagues.