Happy days for young Rotherham United loan hit Dexter Lembikisa

The form of the Wolverhampton Wanderers prospect has been so encouraging that Millers manager Matt Taylor has been feeling pretty happy about things too

There's something the boss likes about the right-back even more than the dashing style of play.

“His biggest attribute at the moment is his character,” Taylor said. “He smiles more than any young player I've ever seen. Young people in general don't smile enough. He's not scared to smile and he's not embarrassed by it.”

The July signing has been an instant hit in South Yorkshire and his manager admits he owes a debt of gratitude to Rotherham's talent-spotters after having little idea just how good the teenager would turn out to be when he came to AESSEAL New York Stadium on a season-long deal.

“I didn't know too much about him,” Taylor confessed. “There was very little footage of him in senior football to go off and just a bit of him playing international football for Jamaica. His arrival is testament to head of recruitment Rob Scott and his staff.”

Bristol-born Lembikisa, who has played once for Wolves in the Premier League, has been a regular starter in the opening stages of the Millers' Championship campaign.

He had fans off their feet when he scored the first goal of his fledgling career with a spectacular volley in the 2-1 win New York over Norwich City on September 2.

“Dexter's quickly finding out about the intensity of the level,” Taylor said. “He was fatiguing towards the end of that game.”

The player has also twice moved to centre-half during games when injuries have necessitated a switch in formation.

“For me to trust him going to the right of a back three shows that he's ahead of where I expected him to be,” his boss said.

The manager doesn't expect the youngster to be at his best every week, citing the example last term of another youthful loanee, Arsenal's Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who hit high standards early on before suffering a dip.

“Dexter will have his moments of inconsistency,” Taylor said. “We saw what happened with Brooke when it came to three games. The Championship takes its toll on any young player.”

Fortunately, Rotherham have a player at the other end of the age scale, veteran Lee Peltier, returning to fitness to help take the load off their Wolves whizzkid. “I've been looking forward to Pelts competing with him and offsetting his minutes," Taylor said. “It's the perfect blend of youth and experience.”

Another thing to smile about.