Hakeem Odoffin's early exit decision sits well with Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw

The fears of supporters were confirmed today when news that the popular utility man was moving on was confirmed.

Odoffin’s rejection of a new contract offer ends a four-year stay that included a promotion from League One, a Papa Johns Trophy win at Wembley and many above-average shifts across his 100 plus appearances.

Hamshaw now has the job of finding someone good enough to fill the 27-year-old’s boots and more time to do it.

“On behalf of all the players he has played alongside and the staff and supporters that he has represented, I want to say a huge thank you to him,” said the manager.

“I want to make it explicitly clear that while we saw a big future for Haks here, he leaves with our sincere best wishes for whatever comes next.

“We’re grateful he has informed us of his decision early and been honest and transparent with us throughout the process.

“The ruthless world of football means that as a manager and with the help of Rob Scott and his recruitment team, we now have to focus our attentions on the next target, but it is only through Haks’ authenticity that we are able to do that.

“It’s obviously not the outcome we would have liked, but I am really keen to keep our supporters in the loop as to where we’re at both on and off the pitch.

"I’ve always believed that honesty is the best policy and I’ll be doing everything I can to be transparent with the fans so that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet moving forwards.”

Signed from Hamilton Academical, Odoffin has proven one of Rotherham United’s wisest acquisitions of recent years.

He originally started out in the centre of the park when he arrived in the summer of 2021.

Centre-back is his favourite position and that is where he has played his best football in the last couple of years.

While Hamshaw and chairman Tony Stewart wanted to keep him, the player’s mind was made up to go elsewhere.

Hamshaw said: “We’re really disappointed that Haks sees his future away from Rotherham United, but we also understand it for all the reasons he has detailed in the many discussions we have had.

“With the Chairman’s backing and his own desire to try and retain the player’s services, we can rest assured that we tabled an offer and negotiated to a point which we felt as a football club represented how highly we think of Haks.

"A player of his talents will understandably have enticing offers elsewhere and his performances have been so good for a long time now that we absolutely don’t begrudge him whichever opportunity he decides to pursue.

“He has been first class for this football club both as a player and an ambassador in the community and I am 100 per cent confident that you won’t find anybody who has encountered him throughout the last four years that says otherwise.”

With Odoffin on the way out, Hamshaw will now press on with shaping a squad fit to fight it out a the top end of League One next season.

Activity on the recruitment front is expected to pick up next month.