Richard Wood column: Jackett a shock, but lads love Warney, says Rotherham United defender

As professionals, we have to move on quickly from these occurrences. The games continue regardless. I must admit, though, it can be difficult with a change of manager. Relationships are forged between manager and player and the slate gets wiped clean when someone else comes in and the whole thing starts again.

I’ve now worked with five managers since I signed for Rotherham and I have had a varying relationship with all of them. In the brief time I worked with Kenny Jackett, I really enjoyed it. What I will say is that, regardless of who the manager is, whether you like him or not, there is a personal pride and an obligation to the club, and the fans, to give everything for the cause. That’s what you’ll get from me whoever the next manager is.

In the interim, the chairman has put Paul Warne in charge of the team, and the lads are thoroughly behind him. He knows the club inside out and understands what the Millers fans want to see on the pitch. As an ex-player, he comes across great with the players and talks a lot of sense. The squad have huge respect for him and I’m sure he’ll get the best out of the team while he’s in charge.

Warney took a very good, high-tempo training session on Tuesday alongside Matt Hamshaw who will be assisting him. I played with ‘Hammy’ at Sheffield Wednesday where we earned a promotion together back in 2005.

He’s been coaching in the Millers Academy for a few years now and it’s been good to see him up at Roundwood helping out with the first team over the last few weeks. The players seem to be very receptive to the sessions he’s put on and quite a few of the team have said how impressed they are with him.

To see a former teammate progressing up the coaching ladder is brilliant and quite a lot of the players from that promotion team have gone into coaching. Luckily, I was one of the younger ones at the time and hopefully have a few more years of playing!

Paul Heckingbottom is the Barnsley manager, Lee Bullen is assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday, David Lucas is goalkeeper coach at Fleetwood, Graeme Lee is Middlesbrough under-23s coach and Lee Peacock is head of youth and development at Eastleigh FC.

I never used to fancy coaching when I was younger but, as I’ve become more experienced in the game, it’s certainly growing on me. Once I complete my journalism degree next year, I will then look in to completing my coaching badges. Coaching, as opposed to management, looks the most appealing. It seems there is a manager losing his job every week!

Warne gets emotional at first press conference