Rotherham boss Paul Warne says Michael Smith could still be on the move

The 29-year-old striker is a key player for the Millers and has been a standout performer ever since his 2018 move from Bury.

During that time he has seen the likes of Will Vaulks, Semi Ajayi and Matt Crooks all seal moves to top Championship clubs while he has remained at the club.

There has been interest from second-tier clubs this summer, but with less than a week of the transfer window remaining, Smith looks set to stay in South Yorkshire.

Warne jokingly likened him to the character 'Wheezy' in Toy Story – a toy penguin who is forgotten about and left on the shelf.

But during a pep-talk between the pair last week, Warne told him that his time could still come.

He told the Star: “I just showed him a list of 50 Championship players in the 2018/19 and it was their average marks and he was on there with (Jack) Grealish and all of those, and I was telling him that all these players have gone on to be superstars.

“I wasn't critiquing his career, but I was saying if he could just get more goals he could give himself the opportunity.

“I made the remark that he was like Wheezy out of Toy Story and I don't want him to be like that.

“I would love him to play his whole career here, but he is some player.

“I am not trying to market him out because I don't want him to go. I think he agreed with me.

“If Alan Lee, Mark Robins, Richie Barker and Gary Martindale got amazing moves and I never did there would be a part of me that would question why I didn't get a big move.

“I was just reassuring him that if he keeps playing at his level and scores goals the opportunities will still be there, I don't think they have gone past him.

“That is a way to motivate him to keep him going.

“He is a top pro, he would never down tools, he is up there with Woody.

“I just don't want him to think that his mates come and go and he is always here. Not that here is a bad place to be but he is entitled to want the best.”