Rotherham United boss Steve Evans' realistic admission over in-demand goalkeeper Viktor Johansson

The goalkeeper has a release clause in his contract that allows him to leave for a reduced fee of around £1 million now that the Millers have been relegated to League One.

The Swedish international, who is coveted by a number of clubs including South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United, didn't start a league match for the first time in this Championship campaign, at Bristol City yesterday.

That was because Rotherham's new manager wanted to see understudy Dillon Phillips in competitive action before making his recommendations on recruitment for next term to the board.

“The chances are that, with the huge interest in him, Viktor will leave in the summer,” Evans told the Advertiser. “It will probably be a life-changing move for the kid.”

The boss, who said that Johansson had accepted being dropped to the bench when he was informed in midweek, was impressed by the performance of Phillips.

“His kicking in the first half was a bit erratic but he pulled off three or four great saves,” he said. “There were big blocks. He stood up well.”

Evans, back for a second spell at New York, has been in charge for less than a fortnight but is already well into the process of assessing the players and staff he inherited following Leam Richardson's dismissal.

He is scheduled to meet with chairman Tony Stewart and board members following the final match of the campaign, a home clash with Cardiff City on May 4, to outline what he feels is required to put Rotherham in promotion contention in the third tier.

Many members of the present squad are set to leave and there will be a significant amount of incoming activity.

“We have to be very clear what our decisions are come a week on Tuesday or Wednesday when the chairman opens up his diary and I go in and address the situation,” Evans said.

“He wants integrity behind every decision. That's what we've got to do because there are no plusses for us in not being back in the Championship a year from now.

“What he doesn't want me to do is come in and take a blindfold to some aspects I'm not happy with. He wants me to be open, to analyse, to look at numbers, to speak to people.

“By doing all that I can realise now why the club is in a perilous position on the pitch. There are a lot of standards and updates we have to bring back to the club. This club deserves that. I didn't come back here to not be successful.”

Meanwhile, Ollie Rathbone had praise for both of Rotherham's goalkeepers after the Millers had ended their away programme with a 2-0 loss at Ashton Gate.

“Viktor's been phenomenal and Dillon's been phenomenal as well,” he said. “Unfortunately Dillon's not been able to show that on the pitch, only on the training pitch. I feel sorry for him.

“If I had to vote for our Player of the Year I'd vote for Viktor first and Dillon second. Dillon's kept his standards really high and trained really hard.”