There was some conjecture in the Major League Soccer off-season that Kenny Miller wouldn’t be back with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2013.

A designated player with a hefty $1.2 million-a-season price tag — easily the highest on the club — the 33-year-old Scotsman struggled to make his mark in 14 games in 2012 as a mid-season acquisition. The 5-8 forward scored just twice, appeared frustrated when he couldn’t get in sync with teammates and didn’t start in the Caps’ playoff loss in Los Angeles.

Scottish newspaper reports in January had him contemplating a return home. Other reports suggested he was being shopped by Vancouver management.

But there he was Saturday in the Caps’ 1-0 regular-season opening win over Toronto FC, putting on the captain’s arm band after centre back Jay DeMerit went down early with a leg injury and setting a sterling example for the club’s younger players by running miles from his position as a withdrawn forward or out on the wing.

His touch let him down a couple of times, and his one attempt at goal, a long blast from 30 yards, sailed well over the net. But he delivered a couple of crosses that were just off the mark and was seen offering tips and encouragement to 18-year-old rookie Kekuta Manneh.

And when he diligently tracked back defensively some 50 yards to the corner flag to deny an opportunity to young Toronto fullback Ashtone Morgan, he drew plenty of cheers from fans at BC Place Stadium, the same supporters who had jeered him at times last fall.

“I thought Kenny did very well,” head coach Martin Rennie said of a man who has been capped 66 times for Scotland. “I think he’ll be a really important player for us. When you’ve got a forward running back to the corner flag against the fullback, three or four, five, six times in a game, you’ve got someone who cares about your club.”

Young midfielder Gershon Koffie, fresh off signing a new contract and obtaining permanent resident status in Canada, scored the only goal in the 59th minute. And newcomers Nigel Reo-Coker, a second-half substitute, and Daigo Kobayashi, who set up Koffie with a deft pass just inside the box, demonstrated plenty of class, vision and poise in midfield.

But Miller’s hustle, his leadership and his willingness to play the entire field was an indication that he’s going to be far more productive now that he’s had the benefit of a full training camp and pre-season.

Rennie said even if Miller didn’t have a “perfect touch” on the day, his defensive commitment was “very significant.

“Especially when it’s someone who’s been there and done it. Those guys sometimes come over here to this league and don’t show that kind of hunger, that desire. But when you see that from a player like him, that makes you very, very happy as a coach.”

Miller laughingly joked that it “was hard to feel pretty fit running back to that corner flag a couple of times today.”