Tony Stewart on offers to buy Rotherham United and how long he intends to stay at the helm

TONY Stewart has dismissed any possibility of selling Rotherham United, saying he intends to remain at the helm of the club for the rest of his life.

In the wake of this season’s successful Championship survival fight, the chairman is more committed than ever to establishing the Millers as a long-term second-tier concern.

He has rebuffed interest from a number of potential buyers and has pledged to continue to do so.

“I’ve no intention of going anywhere,” said the businessman who developed ASD Lighting into a multi-million-pound company before rescuing Rotherham from administration in 2008 and building AESSEAL New York Stadium. “I see myself as the custodian of the club and I take that very seriously.

“I live in the town. I’ve no desire to sell, and I’ve had a lot of people banging on the door wanting to buy. While I’m on this planet it’s part of the family. Like with ASD, I don’t sell assets, I tend to keep them. I’m here while I last!”

During his tenure the Millers have enjoyed complete financial stability and have been held up as an example of how a club of their size should be run.

“I’m still learning but I think that, 15 years on, I know a lot more than when I started,” he said.

“The people here off the pitch are all like family to me. I don’t want to see people from outside coming in. You’ve seen it too many times in football: people come in, try to make money from it and ruin what was in place.”

Stewart is ready to invest heavily in recruitment and Rotherham, after flitting between League One and the Championship from 2017 to 2022, have never been in a better position to make strides in the higher division.

Boss Matt Taylor, who took over from Paul Warne in October, appreciates the support he has received from the Millers owner.

The manager brought in seven players in the January transfer window to boost the bid for safety and has the green light for further significant strengthening of his squad this summer.

“I think there is a realisation of the level of player, of the level of professional people, we need to bring to this club,” Taylor said. “That’s no slight on anything that’s happened in the past but it’s obviously been a struggle to maintain our Championship status.

“We want to give ourselves a fighting chance and to be competitive in the transfer market. It’s great that the chairman is open to ideas, to plans, to processes and to backing them financially.”