From unknown to flying menace as four years as a Rotherham United player flashed by ... thanks for the memories, Chiedozie Ogbene

“CHIEO, Chieo, Chieo ...”

It was the soundtrack to four seasons of flying thrills and spills, of two League One promotions, a Championship survival, a Papa Johns Trophy success and international recognition before he last week left Rotherham United for Luton Town.

Chiedozie Ogbene, Premier League attacker. He can be proud of that, and so can the Millers, the club who turned him into what he is today and what he may go on to be.

He was loud, he was loveable, he wore a permanent grin that lit up his face as much as his coruscating approach did AESSEAL New York Stadium and few players have forged the kind of bond with supporters that he did.

“What a smile, first and foremost,” said Matt Taylor when assessing the winger's impact. Only later did the boss add: “He made a great contribution.”

Club and player went a long way together after joining forces in 2019.

Twelve minutes in, came the debut. Rotherham 1 Tranmere Rovers 1 at New York, August 31. Kyle Vassell was injured and substitute Ogbene was on. There were two quickfire bursts down the flank where he skipped by his man and delivered a telling cross. In time, it would turn out that telling crosses weren't his speciality, but we didn't know that yet. The crowd took to him.

Ogbene was such an unknown when he came to Rotherham that Paul Warne, the manager who signed him, wasn't sure who the player was when he met him for the first time.

Then with Brentford, the boy born in Nigeria and brought up in Cork was so desperate for the move that he was waiting in the car-park at AFC Wimbledon's old ground on third-tier opening day to greet the Millers team bus and stress his enthusiasm for all things S60.

Four years on, he has his own page in Millers history, the whole of the Republic of Ireland reveres its main man and most of Europe is aware of his name.

In his first season, he pumped it up as the Reds were going up; in his second, he was sorely missed as a knee injury took six months to heal and the club went down. In his third, it was promotion again and a Papa Johns goal and glory at Wembley; his fourth brought the Championship safety Rotherham had craved since 2017.

He fitted straight in at Roundwood and his noise grew in line with his stature. You didn't have to ask if Chieo was in attendance. Every time you turned up at Rotherham's training base the place was echoing with his shouts and laughter.

The 26-year-old stepped up to the international stage with ease and maybe he can do the same in his leap to the top flight. He certainly has it in him to be at least an impact player. No opponent, at any level, likes coming up against lightning pace.

Few things in football are more exciting than watching a winger of his speed in full flight. Warne, a player, fitness coach and manager for 26 years in the pro game, said he'd never witnessed anyone quicker.

Ogbene had pulled his hamstring in the Tranmere match and it was six weeks before he was seen again. He came off the bench in a 1-0 win at Blackpool and an opponent had a ten-yard head start on a loose ball 20 yards away. Unbelievably, the Millers man got there first and kept going. In 80 yards and eight seconds, he'd truly announced himself.

Meanwhile, no-one was quite sure which vowels to use, or in what order, when it came to his nickname. Chieo? Chio? Cheeo? It didn't really matter.

What did matter was that Ogbene on the pitch spelled danger. He was too much for the third tier, too fast, too tricky, too forceful, and there were many times in the second tier when he was unplayable.

Luton boss Rob Edwards summed up why the newly-promoted Hatters wanted him: “We got to look at him a lot last season in preparing to play against him and his Rotherham team, and in my opinion he was their best and most threatening player.

“We did work on stopping him as part of our game-planning. You know when you're doing that for someone that they should be on a list for possible recruitment.”

In 136 Millers games, Ogbene scored 14 goals. Most of his time was spent on the right wing but he also featured as a centre-forward, a roving attacker and a wing-back.

Two-thousand-plus Millers fans were pointing to where the ball needed passing. The Millers were at Gillingham on final day in April 2022 and Ogbene's pace had seen him hunt down a Gills defender in the 89th minute in the right-hand corner. The winger delivered, Georgie Kelly said ‘thank you’ and promotion was sealed.

His form dipped at the turn of this year as speculation raged about a transfer-window move. In the end, he stayed and rediscovered himself enough to play a major part in the run-in and finish his final season as top scorer.

He never changed and was as friendly and obliging when he departed as he was when he arrived. Every interview request was granted and no issue was ducked, although there was one topic on which he became increasingly indistinct.

“I've spent all year asking you about a new contract and just got vaguely optimistic answers that don't actually tell me anything,” I said. “I know,” he laughed. “Sorry!”

We were talking on the pitch after survival had been sealed amid the bedlam of Hakeem Odoffin's winner against Middlesbrough. The sun was shining on New York, his long-time girlfriend was at his side, there was a strong handshake and an even bigger beam to that big, beaming grin. It was a good way for us to bid farewell.

He said other goodbyes on Twitter and, typically, supporters were at the forefront of his thinking: “My time here has taught me that great things are done by a series of small things brought together,” he wrote. “To the people of Rotherham, you have made me feel special throughout my stay. You will always be close to my heart.”

Given a free role up front, the Millers forward had been a darting, yellow-shirted flash right across the frontline. He'd terrorised home side Queens Park Rangers and scored in a 1-1 Championship draw in August 2022. “Wish we had him in our side,” was the unanimous verdict as QPR followers dissected proceedings on fans forums afterwards.

Rotherham made their best attempt to keep him but he was never going to stay. There was too much interest, too much on offer, elsewhere.

Ogbene deserved the move, the big wages, the chance to test himself on the greatest league stage of all. He and the Millers owe each other so much for the last four years yet part company owing each other nothing.

It was the right time to go, as he enters his prime years. It's hard to recall a New York spell as spectacular as his and he headed down the M1 to the top flight and potential stardom with the thanks, affection and best wishes of everyone.

Okay, so some crosses ended up in the stand, some hit the first man, some went out of play somewhere near the far corner flag.

But that was secondary to the electric acceleration, the buzz he brought, the threat he posed, the Millers heartbeats he raised, the chant he inspired.

We sang it. We felt it. In our hearts and heads, we'll always be able to hear it.

We just couldn't spell it.

“Chieo, Chio, Cheeo...”