Joe Mattock on Rotherham United's contract offer

The left-back, who joined the Millers in the summer of 2015, is out of contract at the end of the season and a new deal has just been put on the table.

Mattock and his agent were due to weigh up the offer yesterday and the defender says committing his future to the club is his preferred option once the inevitable haggling is over.

"There is no reason for me to go elsewhere at the moment," the 29-year-old said.

"Rotherham are a club close to my heart. I'm happy to stay here. I'm very much settled.

"I'm hoping it's resolved sooner rather than later. It's not something you want to be dwelling on for too long."

Mattock has made 165 appearances since his switch from Sheffield Wednesday and captain Richard Wood is the only Millers player to have been at AESSEAL New York Stadium for longer.

He won promotion from League One with Rotherham two seasons ago and believes Paul Warne’s third-tier class of 2019/20 could turn out to be an even better outfit.

But he has noticed a change in approach from opposition teams this year and acknowledges the midtable Millers, who have performed better on their travels so far, must find a way to combat ultra-defensive visitors to New York.

"We've got the same quality as the promotion side, if not more," he said. "I see it in training and I see it in the games.

"Teams are playing so differently against us this season than they were last time around. They were coming at us more two years ago, trying to outplay us and going toe to toe.

"This year, that's not the case at all. Teams coming here are sitting in and looking to get on the counter-attack.

"We're unbeaten in our last three matches so we're going in the right direction. We have to work out how to deal with teams who come here and put all their men behind the ball."

The most recent side to employ that tactic were Shrewsbury Town who ground out a 0-0 draw last Saturday having time-wasted from early in the first half.

"It's frustrating," Mattock said. "I couldn't believe how their goalkeeper was getting away with holding on to the ball for so long. I don't understand why the referee didn't pull him about it. You have to put it to the back of your mind and focus on your own play.

"Credit to Shrewsbury, they came here to do a job. They had five men at the back and I was getting man-marked by Shaun Whalley. I didn't get a minute's peace. Every time I thought I'd get forward he was on my toes. 

"It was a tough game. They came here to disrupt us, and they did. They sat in and we couldn't find the final ball, that bit of quality, to break them down.

Teams will come here and sit in. We have to be more patient. We're rushing things too much. We have enough good players, players with quality on the ball, to wear out opposition defences."