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Steve McClaren takes new role at Rotherham, chairman Tony Stewart gives takeover update

Steve McClaren takes up a new role at Rotherham, while the club’s chairman Tony Stewart gives a takeover update.

The former England manager has become the new Head of Football at the club, who were relegated from League One, finishing 23rd with 41 points from 46 games played.

The 65-year-old begins the newly-created role with immediate effect, with fans praising him for speaking ‘a lot of sense’ in his first sit down interview.

Asked why this challenge in particular for him, Steve replied: “I think I’ve reached a stage in my career where I need to use a lot of my experience, the last couple of years been coaching with the national team Jamaica, which has really suited me.

“But I’ve always had an eye on a director of football, head of football, some way in which I can kind of move upstairs and influence on a bigger scale a football club, difficult to find, and I just feel that once I met Tony, I met him about 10 years ago, I think, where we talked about managing here when they were in the Championship and he got back in touch with me in I think it was February, March, and they were thinking of changing manager. Unfortunately, I was in a boot, just had an ankle operation. So I wasn’t walking. So, I said, “Look, what I’ll do is once I get walking again, I’ll come and see you.

“Came to a game, had a lovely lunch and we talked football and it was one of them conversations and I’ve had lots of conversations with with owners previously and there’s something missing between the owner and the manager and conduit shall we say and I feel that the longer that we talked together I could fill that void and help him.

“So basically it was it was just you know I think I can help you and he wanted that help. He reached out, wanted a meeting and uh we talked together. And I always remember whenever I worked with Sir Alex Ferguson, one of his best bits of advice were when you join a football club, what whatever role, make sure you join because of the owner, not necessarily the club, and that’s quite honestly one of the reasons, big reasons why I’m here, because of Tony, what he’s done at this football club over many, many years from saving it to building this stadium to maintaining it to getting into the championship, which is an unremarkable, absolutely remarkable feat.

“So, I’ve admired that from afar. He’s a proper gentleman. This is a proper football club with proper people working in it and also the fans watching.”

Watch the rest of his interview below…

Upon the finalisation of the agreement which sees Steve McClaren join the Millers, Chairman Tony Stewart said:

“We are thrilled to have Steve join us here at Rotherham United and we are already looking forward to the value that his unrivalled experience in football circles will add here at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“Steve will provide the Board with a new voice and a pair of eyes and ears that have seen how clubs ensure that they reach optimal performance at both the top club level and on the international stage.

“We acknowledged that as part of our ongoing efforts to drive standards and keep the football club progressing forwards off-the-pitch that adding someone with such impressive football knowledge would be highly-beneficial at Board level and to attract someone of Steve’s calibre hopefully shows to our fans that we are determined to make positive changes following difficult years recently.

“Conversations with Steve have been ongoing for a period of time now which was by-design to ensure that both parties had a clear mutual understanding of what the role looks like and where we believe we can progress the football club to. His CV speaks for itself, but beyond that, we have been hugely impressed by his enthusiasm and desire to enact positive changes here at Rotherham United and we are delighted to have Steve on-board as we look to the future.

“As I stressed in the statement that was issued following confirmation of our relegation to League Two, we are fully-aware that action needs to be taken across a number of football-related departments, starting with the appointment of a new first team head coach.

“That same statement detailed the fact that we would carry out a full ‘post-mortem’ of the campaign just passed and Steve’s feedback will be invaluable as we look to implement measures that ensure a similar situation does not unfold again. I would like to take this opportunity to place on-record my own personal thanks to Lee Clark and Peter Leven, who not only applied themselves wholeheartedly during a tough period for the club, but have provided learnings of their own which will assist both Steve and the club in making marked improvements in key areas this summer.

“Looking at the bigger picture of the football club, Steve’s official appointment to the role of Head of Football will, without doubt, serve as the first step in what will now be a series of decisions across the footballing operation in an important summer for the club.

“Our Season Ticket launch will now take place in the coming days and while we are fully-respectful of the fact that many of our supporters are keen to know who the head coach will be going into next season. We also want to give those happy to proceed now the chance to secure their ticket for 2026/27.

“I would like to sincerely thank our supporters for their patience so far during a critical transitional period this summer and ask that they continue to maintain their faith in us to make decisions in the best interests of the future of the club as we look to the new season.”

Talking to BBC Sheffield, Tony spoke regarding how likely it is that Rotherham are going to be sold: “I can’t see this season anything happen. Over the last 10 years, I’ve had Americans, I’ve had Chinese, I’ve had… Even now there’s three knocking at the door. What I’ve got to make sure is I live in Rotherham and I’m not going to hand it over to someone at any stage that I feel that’s going to have outbreaks coming through my window. You know, I take responsibility.

Interviewer: “So what would you say to an unhappy fan base, and they are, a lot of them, that say, ‘thanks Tony, but it’s time to sell’? What would you say to them?”

Tony: “I don’t have anybody saying that to me.”

Interviewer: “The portion of the fan base that feel that maybe Rotherham United would be better served under a new ownership and they are there.”

Tony: “I think they always get critics but at end of the day they’ve got me until they decide to move and what they’ve got to hold the breath of those were let’s get into this season and see what we’ve done. But it’s two-way this, you know I need people to buy season tickets yeah.

“Because there’ll be a new rule that the more season tickets you can spend, the better striker you can get. That’s happening, that’s round the corner.

“So the bigger crowds we get at Rotherham, is the better we can spend, because there will be a limit on spending.

“We’ve seen it too long in this league and other leagues where these casino owners come in. They have a roulette for three years and they decide.

“I hear things that you guys don’t hear. Big clubs that have a £20 million spend and they’ve got to get you down to £6million. And it’s happening now, as we speak now. Big clubs, not in the Premiership, but in League One, having to sell the stock.

“Now what I’ve liked at Rotherham, wherever we are, we do pay the wages on time. I’ve been here for 18 years. The only one that’s been longer than me is Doncaster Rovers, with one owner.

“So I think for me the right deal that came along in my life that made Rotherham a better situation that would make it progress better, I’d sell.

“And if that proposal came tomorrow, I would sell. And if anybody in Rotherham wants to get in the queue, I’ll give them the time. As long as they’re giving them money.”

Interviewer: “A lot of Rotherham fans just want hope that in six months time you and I not having a conversation about another managerial sacking, another crisis where the team isn’t doing what it’s supposed to be doing. What can you say to them right now that the future, look in the short medium term however long you want, can be brighter?”

Tony: “I think we’ve got to take stock of where we are now. What’s happened? What have we done about it? And I said if we do nothing… It could be much of the same, yeah. So we’ve done something about it.

“I think Steve can sell himself, yeah. I think the fact that we’ve got a coach and I think the fact that the thinking is more about professionalism. I mean Steve’s preparation with regards to the academy, I mean, we don’t do.

“So already in a short time he’s bringing changes and it’s like when somebody tells you the solution you go ‘why didn’t I think of that’?

“This is the guy that’s coming in with solutions, not just on winning games, in the preparation and preparing to win the games. And he’s taking it not just from the first team. I don’t want to steal his thunder, but I am very impressed. And I’m thinking we should have done that, we should have done this.

“So the fans in Rotherham can take it on board that we’ve got a high calibre guy that’s come in with his knowledge, his contacts and whatever, he’ll get to parts that we never could. And that will make a big difference.

“Money’s one thing, getting the right people to spend that money, yeah? And I could have said to you, I’ve spent the money, I’ve spent a lot of money, and I’ve been let down. But I feel more comfortable now with regard to, and it’s not just about the manager, because we’ve got now and overseer in Steve. I liked the course of them spoke to him for an hour or so, but I liked that preparation.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Steve McClaren takes new role at Rotherham, and chairman Tony Stewart gives a takeover update…

@CraigyBoyBes: Spoke well. Clearly got the know-how and contacts that can only help us in the fourth tier. Just hope he’s a fan of the circus because he’s about to work in one #rufc

@bigthing1: Speaks a lot of sense, lets see if he can get recruitment right and steady the ship 👍

@thesavageone87: I do agree with a lot of what he says here btw. We are going to need a bit of patience but it’s good that he’s identify the rot needs to be stopped. It’s just a shame that it’s the rot that’s hired him #rufc

@DannyClarry: I like this

@MillersTomO: I’ve been, and remain critical of TS, but I can’t help feeling a bit sorry for him here. He’s genuinely unaware of fan sentiment. I’d love nothing more than a return to the days of the fans singing his name in admiration and him acknowledging it with fist pump. #rufc

@dannyransford: I agree with you. It sounds like he had stepped back away from day-to-day running of the club and was essentially the chequebook. As I said a few weeks ago, i think it’s finally hitting home change was needed not just in the dug out. He’s making the right moves at the moment…

@AndyWillert: Felt the same to be honest mate, I’ve been proper critical of them at the top and it’s warranted, but they’ll have my support no matter what I think, we’re all hurting after the last 3 years and hopefully this is a master stroke because he won’t have come without reassurances UTM

@tbaldwin1992: Absolute car crash of an interview! 🤦‍♂️ He still thinks everybody loves him because of what he did 18 years ago, that we should all buy season tickets to get another shite striker and he thinks that Steve McLaren is the saviour! 😂🤦‍♂️ #rufc

@Pontemiller: Love when @footballheaven ask the questions that need answering, for the fans. I sense TS felt a little uncomfortable there.

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