‘Banging’ Rotherham United new boy ready for second taste of L1

Rotherham United's newest signing was talking about his long career with Luton Town, the club he left on the last day of the January transfer window to spend the rest of the campaign at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

During his time with the Hatters, the midfielder became the first-ever player to make the journey from non-league to the Premier league with the same club.

His experience of League One was fleeting: a sole title-winning year in 2018/19 as Luton swept through the division they had just entered after climbing from the level below.

“I've played only one season in League One,” he said. “We got promoted from League Two and then got promoted again. We went on an unbeaten run for, like, 30 games.” It was 28 actually, a sequence stretching from late October to mid April.

“League One has been good to me and hopefully it can be again,” he added.

Mpanzu has dropped down from the Championship and is looking to make his mark with the third-tier Millers during a loan spell in which he has the chance to catch the eye of prospective new employers.

After 11 years in Bedfordshire, he is Luton's longest-serving player, but new boss Matt Bloomfield has hinted that there is unlikely to be an offer of a new deal in the summer when his present one expires.

“I spoke to the manager and my chances of playing there weren't going to be that high,” the former West Ham United youngster said. “He said that if I wanted to go out on loan I could.”

Rotherham had been interested all through the transfer window, staying in regular contact with the Hatters, and Millers chief Steve Evans made the decisive call on deadline day.

“Steve rang me to ask about my availability,” Mpanzu said. “I spoke to my mum and my dad and my representative and made a decision to come to Rotherham.

“It's a big thing when a manager wants you and has ideas for you. Hopefully I can get the game-time I want and I can help the team push on. I've played against his sides before and beaten them most of the time!

“He's told me to drive myself on as much as possible, to express my ability and try to get goals. He wants me to enjoy my football and get back to playing as well as I can.

“I've been at Luton for a third of my life. It's tough moving away when you've been somewhere for so long. This is a new beginning, a new adventure, and I'll embrace it with open arms.”

A conversation with his old Luton teammate and former Millers winger Chiedozie Ogbene confirmed that New York was a good place to be and a familiar face was waiting from him in Sam Nombe as the pair had once been together at Kenilworth Road.

He made his Rotherham debut last Saturday against Shrewsbury Town, started again at Blackpool on Tuesday and is set to keep his place for Saturday's trip to Reading.

“Do you know what, I don't mind away games,” he said. “You can shush the fans and come out with a draw or win.”

Mpanzu is only 30 but already has more than 400 outings to his name and arrived in South Yorkshire having played 11 times this term.

“I've kept myself injury-free for the last two seasons,” he said. “Although I'm not quite match-fit yet, I'm raring to go. Bodywise, I feel good. My aim is to play games.”

He's an energetic, box-to-box presence who can do the ugly side of the game but also has an eye for the spectacular.

“I score a lot of bangers!” he grinned. “Most of the goals I get are from far out. Hopefully I can add some more and get us some wins.”

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​ONE TO WATCH

Reading midfielder Lewis Wing spent part of the 2020/21 Championship season on loan with Rotherham from Middlesbrough. He joined Wycombe Wanderers in 2022 and made the switch to the Royals a year later. The 29-year-old has hit the target six times in 34 outings this season. He gave Reading the lead at New York Stadium in October in a 2-1 Millers win.

​FORM GUIDE

Reading: LLLWDD

Millers: LWLLLD

The ninth-placed Royals drew 0-0 at Huddersfield Town on Saturday and then 1-1 at home to Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday.

RECENT CLASHES

​Oct 5 2024, League One: Millers 2 Reading 1

Sam Nombe, Hakeem Odoffin

Feb 14 2023, Championship: Reading 2 Millers 1

Lee Peltier

Aug 13 2022, Championship: Millers 4 Reading 0

Richard Wood, Conor Washington, Jamie Lindsay, Chiedozie Ogbene

Feb 27 2021, Championship: Millers 0 Reading 1

Oct 24 2020, Championship: Reading 3 Millers 0

OPPOSITION BOSS

Noel Hunt became manager of the club he used to play for in December and has kept Reading in the League One play-off reckoning. He won three caps for the Republic caps during his career as a striker. Reading were his team from 2008 and 2014 and he made more than 152 appearances for them. The 42-year-old had spells as assistant boss at Swindon Town and Doncaster Rovers and then coached at the Royals before taking the hot-seat.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Thomas Parsons spent three years in the National League before being promoted to the EFL in 2022. The Lancashire official has never refereed Rotherham in a league game but he has taken charge of a Millers match in the League Cup: the 1-1 draw with Morecambe at New York in August 2023 that ended in a 1-1 draw and a shoot-out win for the home side. This term he has shown 117 yellow cards and three reds in 23 outings.

THE ODDS

​A Reading victory is 6/4 while Rotherham are 13/8 to triumph. A draw is 5/2. Fifty-two contests between the clubs since 1969 have brought 12 wins for the Millers and 24 for the Royals.