Next year it could all change. The philosophical statement from Kenny Miller was said in hope that a season of few goals and increasingly-infrequent appearances could be consigned to the past and a bright new future envisioned at Celtic Park. Many, though, would argue that one of the changes next season will be a change in employer for Mr Miller.

He blames "niggling injuries" for his fractured end to the season, but there is a growing belief that patience is rapidly running out over the misfiring striker.

Asked whether he has been frustrated at not playing a leading role latterly in the Celtic season, Miller replied: "It's part and parcel of being at a big club like this that's got a lot of quality players. You want to play week in week out but, if you're being realistic, it's not going to happen. Hope-fully, you can play some part and come back into the team."

He said he always tried to keep his spirits high and avoided "beating himself up' about missing first-team matches.

"You've got to keep your head up, keep working hard in training. You know eventually you are going to get that chance again."

Opportunities for Miller may be receding at Parkhead. There will be talks after the final about Miller's future.

"Those kind of things happen at the end of the season," said the Scottish internationalist. "I am focused on Saturday and I want to get myself into that starting XI. If not, I want to make the bench and hopefully play a part in winning the cup. What happens after that will happen, I've got three years left here at Celtic and I've really enjoyed the season. I would love to have had a lot more goals and have played a lot more, but next year it could all change." Indeed.

Miller, of course, has played a vital part in getting Celtic to the final. He may have been vilified for his misses, but was celebrated as a genuine hero after his last-minute goal in Inverness ensured Celtic's progress in the Scottish Cup. Trailing by a goal with just two minutes left, Steven Pressley's header and Miller's late strike kept Celtic's cup ambitions alive.

"It is always great when you nick games in the last minutes," he said. He was, though, more relieved with the 2-1 semi-final win over an exuberant St Johnstone side. "It was more difficult than even we expected and we didn't play as well as we had hoped. We were hanging on at the end," Miller admitted.

He is more bullish about the prospects for Saturday. "We have no divine right to go and win the game, but over the year we have been the best team and that is shown by winning the league. But this is a cup game and it is totally different scenario. I am sure Dunfermline will fancy their chances because they have come on in leaps and bounds under Stephen Kenny.

"Any team that puts out Hearts, Rangers and Hibs, you'd probably think their name is on it the cup. It's up to us to put an end to that good run."

He added: "If we do what we do, if we perform how we can perform, we know we will win the cup. We have players in this team that can win matches on their own. If we approach it properly, and give Dunfermline all the respect they deserve, then hopefully we can come out on top."

He dismissed the Lennon factor, saying that winning the cup for the departing captain was not the focus. "The main thing is to win the cup," he said simply, adding that the inspiration was the team's "fear of losing". He went on: "We work desperately hard to keep that ball out of our net as well as getting it into the opposition's net."

He was suitably impressed by Dunfermline's progress, but is intent on halting it. "Sometimes you think it might be their year ... but we're going to be up for it on Saturday."