Rotherham United players who manager Matt Taylor says need to go out on loan

ROTHERHAM United are seeking to send a clutch of their homegrown youngsters out on loan to further their experience during the 2023/24 campaign.  

The Millers have a number of prospects taking part in pre-season training who have little chance of featuring in the Championship next term.

First-team manager Matt Taylor wants to see them testing themselves in the highest division of the non-league pyramid.

“The best thing about pre-season is that you generally get to cast your eye over everyone in your squad,” the boss said. “The majority of the squad we've seen before, even the young players - there will be no surprises in relation to that.

“More likely than not, that group between the ages of 18 and 21 will go out on loan. Their games from last season - and I don't expect it to change this season - aren't quite at Championship level.”

The youngsters in the bracket are midfielders Curtis Durose and Ciaran McGuckin, both aged 19, winger Joel Holvey, 18, goalkeeper Nat Ford, 18, and centre-halves Jake Hull and Hamish Douglas, 21 and 18 respectively.

They all came through the club's youth set-up which is in the third band of English professional football's four-tier academy system.

“We're trying to get them full-time loans at a good standard in the National League to get them closer and closer to the level required here,” Taylor said.

“It's a huge gap when you come from a category-3 academy to Championship football. It's night and day. We have to be respectful and give them time.”

Durose, who made his Rotherham bow in the 5-0 Papa Johns Trophy win over Manchester City Under-21s in October 2021, starred on loan at Northern Premier League Gainsborough Trinity last term.

McGuckin, a debut-maker in the same match, impressed in National League North with Scarborough Athletic.

Both were given new one-year deals this summer.

Ford and Holvey have just signed their first pro terms and haven't been out on loan before. The former trained with the first-team goalkeepers in the latter part of last season while the latter came on for his debut in the last-day second-tier 0-0 draw at Wigan Athletic in May.

Douglas was plucked from the youth ranks last year and joined the senior group on a contract until 2025. He too is waiting for his first loan.

Hull, who has two years left on the deal he signed last summer, spent last season at National League North Boston United and Buxton.

For now, they will all continue to train with Rotherham and play a part in the pre-season programme. “They are certainly training well and learning a lot in the present environment,” Taylor said.