'I was never going anywhere else,' says Paul Warne as Rotherham United boss signs new contract

Paul Warne and Richie Barker have signed new deals along with Matt Hamshaw

The boss agreed a new contract tying him to AESSEAL New York Stadium for the next three years, saying the negotiations couldn't have been smoother.

"The chairman had a chat with me a few weeks ago and everything was quickly agreed," he said. "It wasn't a complicated conversation. I'm happy to sign."

The club announced the deal this afternoon, and there are also new terms for assistant manager Richie Barker and coach Matt Hamshaw.

Warne, who had a long career as a Rotherham player, led his team from League to the Championship in 2018 and this year. In 2019, he came close to pulling off an against-all-odds survival feat in the second tier.

His exploits have earned him admirers elsewhere but he said: "I never thought I was leaving."

The manager has devoted his life to transforming the Millers' playing operation since taking charge in November 2016 and he values his close working relationship with chairman Tony Stewart.

"It's nice to get it done and it's nice for Rich and Hammy as well," Warne said. "It's nice that the club still want us here. Sometimes, managers outstay their welcome or fans get bored of the management team.

"I'd like to think people appreciate how hard we work and how we try to bring success here.

"There aren't many waking hours when we're not thinking about the club. It's nice to be staying and hopefully we'll see out this contract, like we did the last one."

Rotherham have just embarked on their latest Championship campaign and have high hopes of cementing their status in the division.

Stewart said: "I've always said Paul is an intelligent person. He and his staff have accepted the challenge of maintaining our progress.

"Paul is now established as a football manager with Rotherham United. We all expect greater things from him because intelligent people learn and get better. And they learn pretty quickly.

"I'm pleased he and his staff are staying. We went down from the Championship two years ago but we came straight back up again. It just shows it's a very thin line between failure and success."