The experienced striker, now 32, completed his emergency loan move yesterday from Hartlepool and it will be made permanent in January, which will be exactly eight years since he first joined the club.

"There were some great times then and I hope that I'm remembered, at least, for a couple of the goals then - at Hillsborough and against Southampton," he said, recalling his last minute winner aganst Sheffield Wednesday and the spectacular header in the shock FA Cup win over Southampton, both in 2002.

"I don't know if people remembering me for working hard is a bad thing because they can't remember much else but I hope to bring that same workrate but also, hopefully, a few goals and more experience than before.

"At the end, the Champion-ship was really hard, perhaps people didn't realise how hard it was. But moving on and getting the goals I did, made me more confident.

"I'm now more experienced, physically in better condition and more experienced and more knowledgeable and I want to bring those attributes here for the benefit of Rotherham United."

He said he was glad to be back and was convinced after speaking to Mark Robins although other clubs were interested as well.

"It has dragged on a bit for various reasons but the longer it has gone on has enabled me to check the club's progress and the way they have pulled back the points deficit has been very impressive and this helped persuade me.

"They have coped with it better than the other two clubs - Bournemouth and Luton - and have shown top six equivalent form which tells me they must be doing something right."

Barker is in the squad for today's home game with Grimsby and looks likely to start on the bench.

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