A tantalising glimpse of what might have been ... Jack Holmes and his time at Rotherham United

Jack Holmes had left it late, but in the last match of his second season with Rotherham United the attacker plucked from non-league for ‘the price of a Chinese takeaway’ was turning on the style.

The little winger was given a central role just behind the frontline by then-boss Lee Clark in a dead rubber at Adams Park on May 2. The Millers were already relegated from League One, Wycombe Wanderers could no longer make the play-offs.

That distinctive thatch of blond hair was popping up everywhere. By half-time, he'd bagged his first EFL goals - a shake, a shimmy and a pinpoint shot from about 20 yards, then a cool, cushioned volley from about 20 inches as he scampered on to the end of Harry Gray's cross.

Rotherham were 3-2 stoppage time losers, but our Jack was a winner.

Now, though, he's gone, dropping down a division to join National League Boston United after being made an offer to remain at AESSEAL New York Stadium that he could turn down.

Steve Evans was the boss who signed him for the Millers and the man who came up with that memorable ‘Chinese takeaway’ soundbite in the summer of 2024.

Holmes had impressed against them for Southern League Premier Division Central Stamford in a pre-season friendly, scoring and giving Cohen Bramall a hard time. Two successful trial games later, Rotherham were delivering a year's contract with a 12-month extension option and the player was handing in his notice to Evri.

Hey, the money wasn't great. In fact, the money was terrible, but he was realising his dream of being a pro.

Really, though, that was the end of the romance.

He struggled to impose himself in his first season in the third tier, playing 36 times but mainly from the bench. The volatile Evans, with the impulse to castigate every mistake, wasn't the right manager for someone tentatively trying to make their way on a stage far bigger than they were accustomed to.

The more empathetic Matt Hamshaw took up the option and seemed a much better fit as a boss. Yet the minutes dried up and only 20 more outings followed in year two.

Across two campaigns, just 17 of the 56 appearances were starts. He flashed here, flattered there, but mainly it was a case of going on the outside, not quite getting there and turning back.

The thing is, Holmes can play. He tore it up at Roundwood. Teammates spoke about how good he looked in practice. Lee Clark succeeded Hamshaw, was immediately struck by the raw potential on display and was the driving force behind Rotherham's decision to offer a year three.

The forward finally transferred his training-ground form to a League One pitch on that May 2 day at Wycombe when Clark tried him in a different position.

He was a terrific lad - engaged, open, humble, well-mannered, the product of a proper upbringing in a good family.

Mum and dad Carly and Danny watched him, home and away, in every match they could. It was sad that work kept them from Adams Park and that two-goal blast, but the presence of his grandparents in the away end went some way to making up for it.

Wycombe gave a tantalising glimpse of what might have been for Holmes in a Millers shirt next season. Maybe National League is his level, but it would have been interesting to see what he could have produced in a central capacity under Clark in League Two.

Clark, however, reluctantly departed and probably took with him some of the chance of Holmes agreeing to stay.

The player will soon be 25 and needs regular competitive action. Rotherham's offer to him won't have been a high one, and there are two things he is guaranteed more of at new club Boston United than at New York: game time and wages.

Fans warmed to him because his story was a good one and so was his character. Some thought he wasn't quite up to it but all of them would have loved to see him succeed.

They'll watch out for Boston's results now that ‘Chinese takeaway’ Jack is no longer number 23 on the Millers' menu list.