Farewell, Tolaji Bola .... the smile that masked a fringe man's Rotherham United frustration

In the summer of 2021, young full-back Tolaji Bola joined Rotherham United from Arsenal, the club he'd been with since he was eight years old.

Early on in his Millers career, he was handed League One starts in the season which would end in Paul Warne's men winning promotion.

He played well in a Tuesday-night 1-1 September draw at Lincoln City in a game Rotherham should have won 4-1. Four days later, he caught the eye as a 2-0 victory was secured in front of a huge crowd at Bolton Wanderers.

In both matches, his GPS stats were so good that Warne referenced them in press conferences.

None of us knew at the time but it would never be so good again for the former England youth international who turned 25 last month.

In the next match, he was substituted at half-time as the Millers were held to 1-1 at home by Crewe Alexandra and it would be the following March before he featured in the league again.

This week, his career at AESSEAL New York Stadium effectively came to an end. He left the Championship to join League One Burton Albion for the rest of the season and, with his contract due to expire at the end of June, has almost certainly worn a red-and-white shirt for the last time.

Bola is a lovely lad; shy but friendly, his face regularly split by a big, beaming grin, even as his time out of favour has grown longer and longer.

“He hasn't been in the squad but he's trained so hard, been no problem at all and has been the best version of himself,” said the boss who signed him, Warne.

“He's never let his head drop, he's always upbeat. He's a fantastic trainer, probably the best at the club,” said Warne's successor, Matt Taylor.

“He's a fantastic person and a fantastic professional,” said Leam Richardson, the head coach who replaced Taylor.

They all liked him; they all respected him; tellingly, they didn't select him.

There were a meagre 19 appearances in total: 13 in Bola's first year, two in his second, four this term. Just eight of them have come in the league, only three of which have been starts.

He played in every round of the Papa Johns Trophy in 2021/22 until he was left out of the matchday 19 when silverware was lifted in the final at Wembley.

‘T’, as everyone calls him, happens to be a neighbour of mine and will likely remain one as Burton is well within daily travelling distance of his Wickersley home.

He's quiet, no trouble to anyone, and there's always a cheery wave from the driver's seat when he slides by in his black Tesla.

A collection of books and a cactus plant adorn his window sill.

Athletically, he's been the best Miller since Matt Crooks, his time of five minutes three seconds in the old pre-season time trial that used to be held at Roundwood in Warne's tenure bettered only by the midfielder now plying his trade at Middlesbrough.

In his rare outings, he was up and down the pitch, as comfortable as a wing-back as he was at left-back, and many fans believe he has been under-used.

However, all those three bosses who didn't pick him are respected judges with promotions on their CVs. Something must have been missing from his game.

It was a sad sight to see him good-naturedly taking a place in New York's West Stand rather than on the pitch or bench and his stoic handling of the situation shouldn't be interpreted as a lack of desire to play.

When a temporary move to Accrington Stanley was once being mooted and the two teams differed on the proportion of wages each should pay he volunteered to make up the shortfall himself.

A four-match League Two loan to Bradford City last season began with injury and ended with him not in the Bantams side.

Taylor chose not to include him in the Millers 25-man squad list at the end of August and the player spent the next four months training hard but with no prospect of competitive action.

Everyone hopes that the Burton switch proves to be a success. It offers the opportunity of the game-time Bola sorely missed, puts him in the show window, gives him the chance to prove he's good enough to remain in the EFL.

Part of a good family, he was brought up the right way in London and has lived his life the right way in South Yorkshire for the last two and a half years.

The Brewers have got themselves an energetic body, a committed performer, an intelligent, gentle, positive soul.

Along with his teammates, at the start of this season he posed for the headshots that Rotherham's media team use and also supply to the press. Two images per player: one happy, one stern-faced.

Club snapper Jim Brailsford took the pictures and, Jim being Jim and a man who always goes the extra mile, was prepared to email every player their individual pictures.

“Yes please,” said Bola. “But can you just send the one of me smiling?”