Reece James looking forward to second-season freedom at Rotherham United

Rotherham United’s defender made the switch from Sheffield Wednesday last summer with a goal of starting this one as a prospective Championship player again.

It didn’t come close to fruition and James was confined to a team in the bottom half of League One.

The arrival of Matt Hamshaw at the back end promised better things.

"It's been good so far,” said Powell. “He's given us more freedom to play and I enjoy playing out from the back.

"You have been able to see signs that we were improving even though he's had little time on the training pitch.

"Hopefully, with a full pre-season, we can make some strides.”

Although James made 49 appearances last season, no player is a shoo-in as an automatic choice and there will be fresh competition for starting shirts come kick-off time in August.

"Nailing down your position under a new boss, it’s tough,” added James.

"It is also part and parcel of football. You want to be pushed, at the end of the day. It makes you a better player.

"It has been good in the sense that I’ve managed to play in most of the games. I've missed only two or three; I've played more than I thought I might have done.”

James, now 31, has undergone surgery to clear up a hernia that was hampering him in the spring.

By the time pre-season training comes around he’ll be refreshed and ready to go.

"It has been tough in terms of results and we're not where we want to be but hopefully we can make some progression and try again next season.,” he added.