Age is no barrier to Morton veteran Millar

It might be pre-season number 20 for Millar but he says he feels as fresh and ready as ever to perform this term.

The 36-year-old stepped up to full-time training way back in 1999 when he was with Celtic’s youth academy, before making the move to his hometown club in 2003.

Millar insists he and 33-year-old McAlister, left, are more than capable of holding their own with the rest of the squad in terms of fitness levels.

He told Tele: “It’s pre-season number 20. I had my first senior one when I was 18, but I had done pre-seasons before that.

“It’s something that’s begun to dilute these days in terms of how old you are, it sometimes determines — falsely I feel — how many games you should play or only doing single sessions.

“Yes, you need to look after your body a bit more, but I think in the fitness tests Jim McAlister was head and shoulders above the others.

“He finished top, then it was me second with Lewis Strapp and young Aidan Nesbitt and there were a few others below us.

“Two of the oldest guys in the squad have the best cardiovascular fitness.

“It doesn’t matter what age you are, it comes back to the standards.

“If you’re working hard you’ll play in the team, and the gaffer has said that as well.

“Right away everyone knows they have to prove themselves and that’s a really good thing.”

Morton’s squad is younger this year than in previous campaigns, which can come at the added risk of a lack of experience.

However, Millar says that won’t be an issue for Ton.

He added: “It’s a young squad, but there’s a few players there like Aidan, Robbie Muirhead and Kyle Jacobs who have played a lot of games and they’ve been about.

“I like that, you need youth and enthusiasm, you have players like myself, Jim and Bob McHugh who have experience, so it’s all about having the right blend.

“If you’re good enough it doesn’t matter, and I think conversely if you’re old enough and fit enough then it’s the same.”