VANCOUVER — Vancouver Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie was trying to make a point. Kenny Miller is the player who can illustrate it.

At 33, Miller isn’t going to outrun anybody. You could give the forward a jet pack, tailwind and a head start and teammate Darren Mattocks would still burst past him in clogs. But on the field, Miller seems to do more of the running.

The Scottish international has the experience and tradecraft to peel away from his marker at opportune moments, creating space where none is apparent, and the willingness to make dead-end runs that force defenders to move, opening attacking lanes for other Whitecaps.

Miller, the Major League Soccer team’s highest-paid player, works equally hard in practice.

That’s why it’s as important for Miller to get back on the field Saturday as it is for Mattocks when the Whitecaps play Real Salt Lake at BC Place.

Mattocks, the 22-year-old who scored seven times last season as a rookie sensation, was benched by Rennie for last weekend’s 1-1 draw in San Jose. Midfielder Gershon Koffie, 21, was also parked on the substitutes’ bench but at least got on to the field in the second half.

When Rennie needed to replace striker Corey Hertzog, who ran fruitless miles but otherwise looked completely out of his depth until he snatched an opportunistic tying goal, Rennie ignored Mattocks and put on reservist Tommy Heinemann.

Mattocks and Koffie are the most talented young players on the Whitecaps, players whose ability and potential should carry them far beyond MLS.

Their exclusion from the starting lineup screamed more than anything their circumspect coach will tell reporters this season.

Miller, unable to play in San Jose because of a hamstring injury suffered in training, was intrigued by the lineup moves.

“Nobody has got a divine right to have a starting position on the team,” Miller said. “If you’re not doing the job the manager thinks you should be doing or could be doing, there are lads waiting in the wings.

“I’ve been working with a professional club since I was 12 years old. It’s a completely different system here, the college and university system. Darren came and had a fantastic rookie season last year. But that’s not it — that’s not ‘making’ it. You’ve got to be willing to work and learn and put the hours in to try to make yourself better. Maybe the start of the season has been a little bit frustrating for Darren and on Saturday he found himself out of the team.

“Now it’s about taking it the right way and reacting in the right manner. Darren’s going to be back in the team sooner than later, so it’s about working hard in the meantime so when you do get that chance you’re ready to come back in, not just physically but mentally. You can’t sulk or think the world’s against you because you were left out of the team.”

The Whitecaps did not train Wednesday, but Mattocks has said the right things this week about learning from last weekend and earning his playing time.