Lee Clark opts for a familiar face as Rotherham United's new assistant manager
NEW boss Lee Clark has turned to an old ally to fill the Rotherham United number-two role after choosing to dispense with the services of Dale Tonge.
The Geordie today brought in Peter Leven as assistant manager for the eight-game run that will decide the drop-zone Millers' League One fate.
Leven, who had a playing career as a midfielder, was a coach under Clark Kilmarnock in 2016/17. Most recently, he has been involved with Aberdeen whom he left only a short while ago.
The 42-year-old Scot started out as a player with Glasgow Rangers and went on to represent Kilmarnock, Chesterfield, MK Dons, and Oxford United.
He has been a coach and/or assistant boss for more than a decade, with experience at Middlesbrough, Kilmarnock, Belarusian club Dynamo Brest, Russian side Orenburg and Aberdeen. He has also had spells as caretaker manager at Pittodrie.
Clark, who kicked off his reign with a 3-0 loss at Lincoln City on Saturday, had been in the Millers hot-seat for less than a week when Tonge - appointed last summer by previous boss Matt Hamshaw - was let go.
The departing man learned of his release in a phone call from the new manager on Tuesday morning. The pair had been at training together at the club’s Roundwood base on Monday.
Rotherham paid five-figure compensation to take him from Peterborough early on in Hamshaw’s 12-month reign, and he will now be entitled to a pay-off.
Meanwhile, Leven has time to integrate with Rotherham's players as the Millers have no match this weekend because of the international break and don't play again the Good Friday visit of Stevenage to AESSEAL New York Stadium.
They are in 22nd spot, six points from safety and with a worse goal difference than the teams above them.