Rotherham United performed brilliantly in League One in 2021/22, to immediately bounce back to the Championship under Paul Warne.

The Millers were the team to beat for the majority of the season, before Wigan Athletic held their nerve where Rotherham faltered a touch in the final few months of the campaign.

Warne's men were reliant on the consistent performances of a fairly thin squad, considering their position in the league, and they may want to beef up their depth chart ahead of the second tier challenge in 2022/23.

The Millers' recruitment has been very strong in the last few years, but the pressure is on to stay up in the Championship next term, having been relegated immediately after promotion on the last two occasions.

Here, we have taken a look at two Rotherham players who face an uncertain few weeks ahead...

Michael Smith

Michael Smith is on the cusp of a serious dilemma of whether or not to sign a new contract at the New York Stadium.

The 30-year-old could leave for free this summer at the end of his deal, with other second tier clubs sniffing around for a bargain.

Smith has been a journeyman League One and Two striker for the majority of his career, and this could the last chance in his playing days to progress in terms of his prospects in the pyramid and potentially his wages.

Smith hit double figures as the Millers were relegated in 2020/21 but it is his contributions off the ball and in linking play that make him such an attractive proposition, for clubs looking for a physical asset in the final third.

 

 

Michael Ihiekwe

Ihiekwe is in a very similar boat to Smith, both players have been offered new deals, as per the club's retained list, but are at a point in their careers, where the lure of a significant wage increase would be very hard to turn down.

At 29, it is likely there would be interest in Ihiekwe on a free transfer in the Championship, but failing that, the likes of Ipswich Town and Bolton Wanderers are in very strong financial predicaments in the third tier, and they could possibly compete with Rotherham despite being below them in the pyramid.