Alex MacDonald and his January impact for Rotherham United

I've just given the Rotherham United wide midfielder the chance to talk about the tackle of the season that brought AESSEAL New York Stadium to its feet during the 3-1 win over Bolton Wanderers earlier this month.

He's into his stride quicker than he's been launching sorties down the right flank through most of January.

“It couldn't have worked out any better really,” he says. “We'd pressed high from the front. Sam Nombe went, Mallik Wilks went, I sort of made a ricochet and the ball fell.

“I think it was a 60:40 in their lad's favour and I just tried to make sure that I came out on top. It was perfectly weighted. We'd all run after the ball, it deserved a tackle like that.

“It was right in front of our fans. Rotherham fans saw a ‘Rotherham’ performance and the challenge probably summed it up. It was great to feel the lift around the place. I think it lifted the lads as well.”

That crunching intervention was one of many good Macca moments over the last few weeks as the Millers have made a new-year surge towards the top ten, losing only once, at Burton Albion, throughout January.

We're speaking at Rotherham's Roundwood training base on a Friday morning before a thumping win over Charlton Athletic and his first goal for the club the following day and he's proving to be warm, sharp-witted company with a memorable turn of phrase.

It's only the second time the summer signing has been put up for media duties since his arrival. “What do you expect?” he grins. “I've been in the fridge for three months.”

MacDonald was a bit-part figure as right-back cover or as a substitute in varying roles in the early days of his one-year deal before being used barely at all between October and December.

His elevation to regular starter coincided with the Millers' best displays following a disappointing beginning to the campaign.

“Hey, it's not all down to me,” points out an experienced campaigner who is very much a team man. “We've got fantastic players for the level, players who on their day are as good as any in the league. We have match-winners in our squad who can get us points.

“It was a tough start to the season. It's been nice to come back into the team and finally play in my own position.”

January has turned him into a cult figure with supporters who have approved of his skill in possession and work rate out of it.

“Recent performances have had those Rotherham core values of hunger and desire,” he says. “That's the bare minimum here. We need to keep the fans on board.

“There was a huge disconnect with them at one stage. There were big expectations and we didn't live up to them.”

Manager Steve Evans has signed the player for four different clubs, having first taken him to Mansfield Town in 2017 and then giving him deals with Gillingham, Stevenage and the Millers.

“He's a really good player” the boss says. “When you get him in a good run of form, he's very hard to replace.

“Since Lincoln City (New Year’s Day), he's made that shirt on the right of midfield his own. He knows my opinion of him. I love him like a son.”

Age has taken the edge off MacDonald's top speed yet also added other qualities to his arsenal.

“Yeah, I've had to adapt,” he concedes. “There was one part in the match at Huddersfield Town where I thought I was ten years younger when the ball came to me out wide.

“I tried to knock it round someone and run round the other side. Small things like that I can't do anymore.

“My experience now is probably my most valuable asset: knowing when to go, when to run, when not to run, when to press, how to control the two strikers in front of me if I need a breather or if I can't get to the next part of the press.

“I've had to become better on the ball. You have to do that when your pace isn't where it used to be. I'm 34 but I still feel young. I'm still young in my head, I still feel as though I've got loads to offer. I'd like to think that I've shown that to the manager this month.”

We talk of the possibility of a play-off push. “The end of the season could be interesting,” he says.

Tuesday’s win over Cambridge has ignited hopes, although next up is this weekend's trip to big-spending, pole-position Birmingham City.

Whatever, MacDonald’s just glad to have swapped the cold of the fridge for the heat of the battle.