Rotherham United boss Paul Warne makes recruitment admission

Rotherham boss Paul Warne knows he is asking a lot of his recruitment team this summer.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Warne is wanting up to nine fresh players through the door as he tries to build a squad capable of competing in the Championship.

It is just a couple of weeks away from pre-season training and the Millers have so far only brought Conor Washington into the club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Northern Ireland international will officially join at the end of his contract at Charlton later this month, but he will need to be accompanied by others.

Paul Warne, manager of Rotherham United (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images).Paul Warne, manager of Rotherham United (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images).
Paul Warne, manager of Rotherham United (photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images).

With several players leaving at the end of the last promotion season and Michael Smith and Michael Ihiekwe primed to turn down new contract offers, Warne knows his recruitment team will need to work in overdrive.

“I think it is going to be a massive turnaround of 10, 11 or 12 players,” said Warne.

“The team has got older, every team does get older. Contracts are at the end and I do think it’s a bit of a summer of change.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It is a lot to ask of our recruitment team, who work really hard as do the coaching staff to try and help them.

“It does feel like we need a good summer to give ourselves a good start and chance next season. Because history suggests that if it isn’t, it’s a long way back.”

If Millers does lose Smith and Ihiekwe and big offers come in for Ben Wiles and Chiedozie Ogbene, then Warne knows the writing could be on the wall.

“The gap is big and that is why we need to keep our best players,” he said.

“If we go up and lose three or four players, you cannot go up with a weaker side.

“We need to add players who can compete and replace the players we have got and not support.”