Echoes of Leam Richardson in Wigan Athletic's trip to Rotherham United

It was a Championship clash in October 2022 and the visitors went home with all three points following a 2-0 victory.

The match marked the beginning of Millers life without Paul Warne, the manager having left for Derby County nine days earlier.

Senior pros Richard Wood and Lee Peltier were in temporary charge as goals from Will Keane and Tom Naylor did for the home side.

Matt Taylor would be the next permanent boss. Then, of course, Richardson had a short stint in the hot-seat before Steve Evans returned for a second spell in charge.

Wigan are back at New York on Boxing Day boasting a similar League One record to Rotherham's. Shaun Maloney is their boss these days and working to a sensible budget after the club's previous over-spending threatened their survival.

The Latics have most of their players available, but are without long-term absentees left-back Luke Chambers, midfielder Tyrese Francois and winger Dion Rankine.

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One to watch

​Midfielder Thelo Aasgaard is Wigan Athletic's top scorer, having found the net nine times in 24 outings this season. He was born in Liverpool but is a Norway youth international thanks to his father's Norwegian heritage is. The 22-year-old came through Athletic's youth ranks and has already made more than 150 senior appearances. His dad, Jonathan, is a professional cellist.

Form guide

Millers: WLWWWL

Wigan: WDLLLWD

The Latics followed up a 2-0 win at derby rivals Bolton Wanderers with a 2-2 home draw with Shrewsbury Town last Saturday.

Recent meetings

May 8 2023, Championship: Wigan 0 Millers 0

Oct 1 2023, Championship: Millers 0 Wigan 2

Feb 18 2022, League One: Millers 1 Wigan 1

Ollie Rathbone

Aug 14 2021, League One: Wigan 1 Millers 0

Feb 9 2019, Championship: Millers 1 Wigan 1

Clark Robertson

Sep 1 2018, Championship: Wigan 1 Millers 0

Opposition boss

Former Wigan player Shaun Maloney took the hot-seat at the DW Stadium in January last year, after a spell in charge of Scottish club Hibernian, and led the Latics to a 12th-placed finish in League One . The Scot was an attacking midfielder in his playing days and started out at Celtic for whom he made more than 200 appearances across two spells. His other clubs included Aston Villa and Hull City. Now aged 41, he won 47 Scotland caps.

Man in the middle

Martin Coy is an experienced official in Leagues One and Two and is in his eighth season on the EFL list. From Durham, he has taken charge of 17 games this term, showing 47 yellow cards and three reds. His last experience of the Millers came in January 2022 when Paul Warne's men triumphed in a penalty shoot-out at AESSEAL New York Stadium over Cambridge United in a Papa Johns Trophy quarter-final.

The odds

Rotherham are evens to win and Wigan 5/2 while a draw is 12/5. Forty contests between the clubs since 1935 have brought 11 wins for the Millers and 20 for the Latics.