Rotherham - Matt Derbyshire
[article=http://www.themillers.co.uk/news/article/matt-makes-millers-move-1591622.aspx#JIPvFQXsqxHggdL6.99]Rotherham United have completed a second summer signing following the capture of
striker Matt Derbyshire, from July 1st, subject to medical and Football League ratification.
Boss Steve Evans moved to bolster his attacking options after agreeing terms with the front-man this afternoon at the club’s New York Stadium headquarters.
Derbyshire, who was contracted to promotion chasing Nottingham Forest last season, joins midfielder Conor Newton in committing his future to the Millers, putting pen-to-paper on a
two-year deal.
A player who
has previously commanded a £3 million transfer fee, he is the first player to sign for the Millers since the dramatic penalty shootout success over Leyton Orient which ensured Championship football for the first time since 2005.
Following the signing of the
former Blackburn Rovers and Olympiacos hot-shot, manager Evans told
www.themillers.co.uk:
“I have watched Matt’s career with real interest and excitement over the years and my attention intensified towards the end of last season when I was keeping an eye on his situation at Nottingham Forest.
“He is a goalscorer, he has pace, he can get in behind defences and he is comfortable taking the ball into feet. Quite simply he will be an excellent signing for us.
“I think his stats will show if you start the lad, he will score goals. I have had long chats with him about how hard he will have to work to get into my team because that is the first criteria. After looking at the footage of him and seeing him play dozens of times over years one of his real assets is his work rate, he is renowned for his tenacity, that is an important attribute.”
After breaking through at Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, the
former England Under-21 international also had a productive spell with Champions League regulars Olympiacos, before moving back to England to join Nottingham Forest.
“The New York Stadium will be sold out most weeks next season so clearly the place is going to be vibrant, but Matt will be used to loud stadiums following his spell in Greece,” added Evans.
“He has good experience from his time with Blackburn, Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest. He’s at a good age, has the experience and is a good second addition after young Conor Newton.”[/article]
Rotherham - Scott Loach
[article=http://www.themillers.co.uk/news/article/millers-sign-scott-loach-1602952.aspx#6g5YViBo8Ce6wTmy.99]Rotherham United have made their third signing of the summer after securing the signature of
former England under-21 ‘keeper Scott Loach, subject to medical and Football League ratification.
The
26-year-old has signed a
two-year deal and joins midfielder Conor Newton and striker Matt Derbyshire in committing his future to the club.
Manager Steve Evans moved for the former Watford and Ipswich custodian to compete for the number one position with Adam Collin, as the Millers continue to prepare for their Championship campaign.
“First of all I must say that Adam Collin has been magnificent since he grabbed the number one jersey last season, and it is fair to say that he has played a major part in where we are today,” Evans told
www.themillers.co.uk
“As I told Adam in the reviews at the end of the season that I have with each player, we’ll be bringing in some competition for him and that is exactly what we have done, Adam was excited and is looking forward to the challenge.
“Scott has made over 150 starts for Watford in The Championship so he has great experience at this level. He has played under the likes of the excellent Malky Mackay and Brendan Rodgers and they are two individuals who know a player when they see one. He has just turned 26 so he is at a good age; he has previously been called up to the England senior squad and has been capped repeatedly at under-21 level. He has great stature, he kicks well, he has all the attributes that a top ‘keeper needs and he fits in perfectly to what we are looking for.”
After
being involved with the England senior set-up only two years ago, Loach’s pedigree and willingness to succeed were key factors in Evans’ decision to swoop for the Nottingham-born stopper.
“Similar to Matt Derbyshire and Conor Newton we are signing a player who is still young, still has a point to prove and is hungry for success,” added Evans.
“He had a dream move to Ipswich, his boyhood club, for a sizeable undisclosed fee but it hasn’t quite worked out as he would have wished. We are delighted to sign Scott, like our other signings, he has a fantastic pedigree and he wants to help take this club and his career forward.
“I talked to him purely on football terms and the discussions were very straightforward. He wants to come in and grab the number one shirt and he is under no illusions to how tough that will be. Both our ‘keepers will know that come August 9th I will pick the person that we genuinely believe deserves the shirt, there can be no other way.”
Evans also confirmed that Loach had come highly-recommended, whilst goalkeeper coach Andy Dibble also watched him intently several times, as Evans went on to reveal:
“We knew that it was very unlikely we would have been able to get Scott Loach as a League One club. Now we are in The Championship it opens doors for the club to attract this calibre of player. We were very thorough in our selection, we spoke to several of his former goalkeeper coaches, Andy Dibble has seen him on a number of occasions and his reports we received were all very positive.
“I have said over the last three months or so that Adam Collin has been terrific but he has always had Scott Shearer breathing down his neck, so we are delighted to have increased that further competition.”[/article]
Rotherham - Kirk Broadfoot
[article=http://www.themillers.co.uk/news/article/millers-bolster-defence-1627613.aspx#ByMJKbVx1O3s6Roz.99]Steve Evans has bolstered his defence with the signing of
Scotland International Kirk Broadfoot, subject to medical and Football League ratification.
Evans has swooped for the
former Glasgow Rangers central defender as he looks to re-enforce his rearguard ahead of the big kick off on August 9th.
Broadfoot is signing number four of the close season and boasts an impressive CV which includes full International honours for Scotland and
over 100 appearances for Scottish giants Rangers.
The
29-year-old joins the Millers after being a
regular in The Championship last season for Blackpool, and pens a
two-year deal with the club.
“It has taken a little while to get done because of the significant interest there was in Kirk,” boss Evans told
www.themillers.co.uk
“There will be some disappointed managers today, we had to work ever so hard to get him here and I am delighted to have got the deal over the line.”
Best known for his spell in Scotland where he was part of a successful Rangers side, Broadfoot collected a host of honours including three League titles, and a runners-up medal in the UEFA Cup.
“He is an experienced professional who has played at the highest level with Glasgow Rangers. He has played in an UEFA Cup final; he has significant experience in the Champions League and he has won the Scottish Premier League several times,” Evans confirmed.
“He has just had an outstanding season with Blackpool in difficult circumstances and I took references on him from the likes of Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and latterly Paul Ince who all gave him the highest recommendation.”
A versatile operator, Broadfoot has
also played at right-back during his career, whilst Evans also praised his attitude as a key reason for his decision to sign the Irvine-born defender.
“He has the ability to not only play as a centre back but also a full-back,” the Millers boss added.
“I watched Blackpool on four occasions last season and on each occasion I came away from the match really impressed with the performances of Kirk.
“He can play, he is technically good. He is happy to get on the ball if required and he can bring it forward from a central position and pass it with comfort. He also enjoys an old fashioned centre-half battle with an opposing striker, whilst his positional play is also first class. You don’t play in UEFA Cup finals if you are not accomplished, he is a quality operator.
“He has made the decision to move to the area with his family immediately and he is someone I’ve always respected and admired as a player. I have spoken previously about signing players with the right type of experience, coupled with the right type of attitude, Kirk Broadfoot ticks those boxes."[/article]
Rotherham - Jordan Bowery (reportedly £250k)
[article=http://www.themillers.co.uk/news/article/rotherham-united-break-transfer-record-1628201.aspx#K2zeGERg5bEbpYeL.99]Rotherham United have broken the club transfer record after signing Jordan Bowery
from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.
Manager Steve Evans made Bowery his
fifth summer signing a day after netting former Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot.
The striker has penned a
two-year deal with the Millers and in doing so enters the club history books as the
Millers’ record signing.
A delighted Evans confirmed the club had to work hard to secure the former Chesterfield hit-man’s signature.
“We are delighted to sign him, we have been very patient on this deal and again we are thankful to the Chairman in providing the funds for this record transfer, and thankfully we were able to persuade Jordan that his future lies in Rotherham,” Evans told
www.themillers.co.uk
“I am thankful to Paul Lambert at Aston Villa for the kind words he said about Rotherham United and we are just delighted to have got the deal over the line and have young Jordan come on board.”
Bowery
began his career at neighbours Chesterfield where he caught the eye of the Premier League giants who signed him in 2012. The
fleet-footed front-man enjoyed a run in the Villa side towards the end of last season where he tested himself against some of the World’s best defences.
“He forced himself into the starting line-up for a number of weeks before the end of last season, and I watched one of those matches live and of course I have seen him on a number of other occasions,” Evans added.
“He excited everyone when he was at Chesterfield when he broke through as a young kid and then he got the wonderful opportunity to play at Aston Villa. He has been at two good clubs and he has the opportunity to join a club that is desperately keen to do well in The Championship.”
Evans believes his new signing has the potential to become a fans’ favourite, citing a number of attributes which will endear him to the Millers faithful.
“Our supporters will like this kid,” Evans said of the
22-year-old.
“He is a workhorse with good technique and he has outstanding ability in the air. He is also very quick and if people thought that Kieran Agard was quick then wait until you see Jordan Bowery in full stride. He isn’t just quick over a distance, he is sharp in short bursts as well, very similar to what Nouha Dicko did for us in League One, and we are hoping Jordan can deliver that for us in The Championship.”[/article]
