A short deal for now ... but Dominic Iorfa's stay at Rotherham United could be extended

New signing Dominic Iorfa says he can envisage a longer-term future at Rotherham United after signing a four-month contract with the club.

The free-agent centre-half last week finalised a deal that keeps him at AESSEAL New York Stadium until January.

When asked if he could imagine his stay extending beyond its initial terms, he replied: "Yeah, easily. When I spoke to the gaffer he was like 'Just come in, focus, perform well, get to January and we'll re-evaluate then.'"

The 31-year-old, who lives with his partner and young children in the town, has spent most of his career in the Championship, and boss Alex Bruce described the defender's arrival as "a coup" for the Millers.

The head coach admitted he would have loved the former Sheffield Wednesday man to have agreed a lengthier contract as he seeks to turn around the fortunes of the League Two club he joined in June.

"Listen, I'd be lying to you if I said I wouldn't have liked Dom to have signed for longer," he said. "Someone of Dom's quality dropping from the Championship to League Two, it normally doesn't happen, especially when you're only 31.

"There's still a lot of football left in him. I think this just ticked a lot of boxes for him - location, family, age of kids, things like that. And also the size of the club. Rotherham aren't in the league where we all want them to be, but the support, the stadium, the facilities ... it's a very, very good club to play for."

Neither the player or the club properly explained why the contract is a short one.

It may be that it suits both parties as it gives Iorfa a chance to put himself in the shop window while the Millers haven't risked tying themselves to a player who has had injuries in the past.

Iorfa was asked if he'd have preferred a longer deal or whether it was his idea to restrict it to just January.

He replied: "It wasn't really something that was discussed. It was something that was kind of put to me and I was okay with it. My whole thing is to come in, play games, perform and help the group. Then, whatever happens, happens. I'm open to it being a longer time, but, obviously, right now it's a short-term deal. That's just the way it is. I didn't really have any complaints."

Those comments are slightly at odds with what Bruce said about being keen to have brokered a more protracted agreement.

The Millers have shown encouraging signs of progress and the centre-back is excited to come in at a time when they are eyeing a climb into the top half of the table.

"Yeah, the project definitely appeals to me," he said. "I believe in the gaffer and I believe in the group as well. I believe we've got a good squad. I did have offers from the league above, and the league above that, at the start of the transfer window.

"There are a number of factors why I am here. I wanted to come to a project where I am part of a squad that can push for something. I didn't want to go somewhere and maybe just be coasting during the season.

"I'm a part of a something now where we are looking to do well this season and be pushing for promotion. I've experienced promotion before. I'd love to achieve it again. Obviously, the family side of things was important as well. It's no secret that I live in the area. So it kind of ticked a lot of boxes and made sense for me."

Iorfa had been training with Rotherham for a couple of weeks before a deal was struck - to the delight of Bruce who had been tracking the player for much of the summer

"Dom's agent rang me after I'd originally spoken to him a good few weeks before," the boss said. "His agent knew I was interested in Dom and asked if he could come in and train.

"I said: 'Of course, yeah.' I was like a dog with a bone!"