MILLERS SHOW THE ATTITUDE MONEY CAN’T BUY

EVERYONE made Preston favourites to win the play-offs. And when Paul Gallagher scored the first goal at New York on Thursday, it looked like they were right.

But, as I said last week, never write Rotherham off. No team in League One has won more points from losing positions and the Millers proved true to form as they came back to win 3-1 on the night.

They remind me very much of my old Notts County side. They’ve got a bit of flair, a bit of pace, a bit of power. But above all they’ve got that never-saydie attitude and team spirit which money can’t buy.

Ben Pringle has a fabulous left foot on him. Kieran Agard is lively. They’ve got a great mix and when you get on a roll like that, it’s the best feeling for a manager. Steve Evans must be quietly confident and after that performance, I would make them favourites against Leyton Orient at Wembley.

As a former player, it’s great to see Rotherham bouncing again. With all the financial problems, points deductions and relegations, their fans have been shortchanged over the last few years.

But chairman Tony Stewart really has put his hand in his pocket. He’s spent £25m of his own money, built a fantastic new stadium and got the club marching forward.

What I like is that they didn’t go silly and build a 40,000seater stadium. I remember at Plymouth Argyle, they released plans for a 20,000-seater stadium and some fans were playing hell, arguing it should be 30,000. It’s fine to dream big, but you have to be realistic as well.

Rotherham did that. They built a ground their fans will fill – the capacity is around 12,000. It’s always full, always got a great atmosphere. That’s the way forward for any club at that level.