St Mirren assistant manager Andy Millen has backed former team-mate Kirk Broadfoot to continue his rapid rise in the game. The Rangers defender scored on his Scotland debut last week against Iceland and has confounded the critics to show he has what it takes to play at the highest level.

While national team boss George Burley admitted the player had 'limited technical ability', Millen believes Broadfoot has the right attitude to establish himself at Ibrox.

He said: "Kirk has always had a tremendous work ethic. When he was at St Mirren he would regularly be in first doing a weights session before training and then after lunch he'd head back to the gym.

"His appetite for work and his dedication are total and that is what has helped him make it through to the Rangers first team.

"But now he is there it will be even harder for Kirk to stay there and he will know that he has even more work ahead of him. He must keep striving to improve different parts of his game and I am sure he will.

"Rangers are a massive club, they are a beast and the beast must be served. When a player drops his standards Gers have the spending power to bring in the best."

Millen also feels that Broadfoot will benefit from the experience of playing alongside defensive stalwart Davie Weir.

"Davie has experience at the highest level either side of the border and over 50 Scotland caps. With Davie talking to him all the time Kirk will be absorbing and learning as he goes. The signs that he has done so and has added to his game since he left Saints last summer are obvious in that regard.

"On top of that, with Walter Smith in charge and Kenny McDowall and Ally McCoist on the training paddock, Kirk is also going to be gaining the benefit of the highest quality of coaching. I know that he is relishing that."