Away-day Viktor Johansson wants to do it for the Rotherham United fans

The goalkeeper is talking about the Rotherham United followers who hit the road in support of their team despite a grim record over the last 16 months.

The Millers last experienced the joy of victory at a ground other than AESSEAL New York Stadium by famously seeing off derby rivals Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane on a Tuesday night in early November 2022.

Now Johansson is hoping Saturday's Championship visit to Norwich City is the day that a winless run now standing at 34 matches finally comes to an end.

“Not winning is killing everyone in there,” he said, referring to the Rotherham dressing room. “We want to give something back to the fans who travel across the country for us.

“It makes it even harder to take when you don't do it for the fans. We want them to believe in it. We need help from the stands to give us that ‘12th man’ feeling.”

Believing is something the Swedish international refuses to give up on.

The Millers are a long, long way from safety and heading for the drop as their second season in the Championship reaches its latter stages but the former Leicester City prospect won't accept that the victories won’t come.

“As a player, you've got to keep believing, 100 per cent you have,” he said. “Belief drives you forward.

“We go into every single game believing we can win. If you lose that belief you might as well not play. Everyone believes.”

Johansson is in his fourth season as a Miller and has experienced the highs of League One promotion, lifting Papa Johns Trophy silverware at Wembley and last term's second-tier survival feat.

Yet, in the toughest year of his time at New York, he reckons the present group of players have as much character as any squad with which he's been involved.

“It’s a good dressing room,” he said. “There are some people in there. We want to do our best for each other. Everyone is pulling the same way.”

The 25-year-old is widely regarded as the best keeper in the Championship and his form has been so good this season that he's a certainty to take the Player-of-the-Year crown for a second successive year.

However, praise and personal accolades are something he'd happily trade for that elusive away success.

“To be honest, I don't look at myself in that way,” he said. “I just want the team to do well.

“I want to be that guy who people can trust but I'd rather I had a bad game and we win than had a good game and we lose. I just want us to win. That's everything.”