Bid for Danny Ward, plus Leeds United 3 Rotherham United 0 match report and reaction

Ward has hit nine goals this season and there is already interest in him early in the January transfer window, but Warne, in caretaker charge, says the 25-year-old could be staying put.

“There has been one bid from a club - I’m not going to tell you which club - and we turned it down,” the interim boss said.

“If there was a good offer for Wardy, I still don’t think we’d accept it. The chairman doesn’t want me to sell anyone, and why would I sell my best striker?

“But everyone has got a value, everyone has got a price. It’s a good thing that clubs are being linked to our players because that means they’re doing something well. I think Wardy is doing well.”

Ipswich Town have been linked with a bid for the frontman, but Warne said: “I know categorically there has been no connection with Ipswich.

“I know their manager (Mick McCarthy) likes Wardy because I’ve spoken to him. Who wouldn’t like Wardy? I also know there has been no bid put in by Ipswich at all.”

Ward was in the Millers side which should have been in front at half-time at Elland Road before promotion-chasing Leeds took advantage of some weak defending from the visitors to take the points.

Tom Adeyemi hit the post in the sixth-minute after Anthony Forde’s free-kick had been parried by home goalkeeper Robert Green and Izzy Brown fired a great 35th-minute opportunity over the bar from 12 yards after Darnell Fisher’s cross.

Midfielder Adeyemi was at fault when Garry Monk’s team went ahead three minutes after the break, being beaten to a corner by Kyle Bartley who headed home at the back post.

Eighteen minutes later, centre-half Kirk Broadfoot, making his first appearance of the season since August 6 opening day, was held at bay too easily by Chris Wood who then lashed his shot past Lewis Price.

Warne had dropped central defender Richard Wood to the bench to give Broadfoot his first outing since recovering from back surgery, but otherwise the team was unchanged from the one beaten 2-1 at home to Burton Albion last Thursday.

Leeds’ Wood wrapped up proceedings by steering in his second from Liam’s Bridcutt’s centre 11 minutes from time to leave bottom-placed Rotherham 12 points from safety.

Warne said: “I thought we were excellent in the first half. I came to win the game.

“To concede from a corner was disappointing and it was a blow for my players. They didn’t deserve that. That first goal changed the game.”

“They get one or two chances, they score. We get one or two and don’t score.

“From box to box we were excellent. The fine margins at this level and the quality at this level are going against us.”

Leeds united: Leeds United (4-4-2): Green 6; Ayling 6, Bartley 7, Jansson 7, Berardi 6; Sacko 5 (Vieira H-T, 7), Hernandez 7, Bridcutt 6, Doukara 6 (Dallas 74); Roofe 7, Wood 8 (Antonsson 82). Subs not used: Silvestri, Cooper, Phillips, Denton.

Rotherham United (4-4-1-1): Price 5; Fisher 6, Broadfoot 5 (Wood 84), Belaid 6, Mattock 7; Forde 5 (Taylor 70), Adeyemi 6, Frecklington 6, Newell 6 (Vaulks 76); Brown 6; Ward 5. Subs not used: Odemwingie, Halford, Blackstock, Bilboe.

Goals: Bartley 48, Wood 66, 79 (Leeds).

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 33,397.

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