Goals on the mind of Rotherham United's singing striker: the Martin Sherif interview

New boy Martin Sherif was offering an insight into what supporters might be about to see from him during his loan spell with Rotherham United.

This was the interview in which he would give journalists an impromptu Justin Bieber rendition during his first date with the media as a Millers player late last week.

He'd not got around to the singing part yet. Instead, here was a talented young man with plenty to shout about.

“I can get the ball, I can get in behind, I can be a fox in the box,” he continued. “I can score headers, I can take shots from outside of the box. It's just about how the ball comes to me really.”

The Everton teenager isn't short of confidence, but there's no arrogance about him. Sat in front of us was a likeable, well-mannered 19-year-old with a ready laugh who just happens to really believe in himself.

He's also got an eye for decent PR, as he managed to squeeze in a mention of a special time in Rotherham's history.

“Thank you very much,” he said when we told him we hoped he was settling in well. “It's been good. I've been getting to know the team, my surroundings, the gaffer. Everyone has been really good.

“I think I'm ready to go. Playing in League One will definitely be different to the under-21s. Having said that, with the under-21s, I played in the Papa Johns Trophy and also in the National League Cup, so I've got some experience of men's football. Now it's going to be on a regular basis. It will be a great test for me physically and mentally.”

Ten clubs wanted the Liberian-born, Dutch-raised striker, Rotherham got him, and his signing looks to be a real coup for manager Matt Hamshaw and director of football recruitment Rob Scott.

This is a 6ft 3in forward who made such an impact at youth level after joining Everton when he was 13 that the Toffees deemed him to have outgrown junior football two seasons ahead of schedule.

Sherif – pronounced Share-reef – met Hamshaw via an online link-up and one simple sentence from the Millers boss saw the interest of nine other sides fade into the background.

The youngster revealed: “The gaffer just said: ‘I wouldn't be on this Zoom call if I didn't want you.’ I thought: ‘That's it, that's all I want: somebody telling me that they want me.’

“He didn't just say that I could be in the squad and play games, he said: ‘We want you.’ That's what got me. It was fantastic to hear.

“Your first loan, it's about game time. You can go to a fancy club where they have six strikers already and you just play here and there, but that's not what I need right now.

“The gaffer didn't have to sell Rotherham to me. He was just honest and told me what they wanted from me. He spoke about respect and that really pulled me in.”

For now, he's boarding at the Aston Hall Hotel and working on the initiation song that he'll have to perform the next time the Millers have an away fixture that requires an overnight hotel stay.

“I've been practising,” he said. “I've already sung it, when I was on the bench for Everton at Crystal Palace last season. Justin Bieber's Baby. I'll do the same one again.”

‘Do you fancy yourself as a singer?’ he was asked. “Yeah, I do,” he flashed straight back. “I think I've got great vocals, yeah.”

‘Does confidence like this translate on to the pitch,’ was the follow-up question. “Yeah, I am a confident player,” he replied. “Confidence is important as a footballer. Without it, you can't play.”

He's due to stick around in S60 for a full season of development.

“With this loan, I'm hoping to become a better professional, a better player,” he said. “It's the club's 100th anniversary so hopefully I can do well for them in a special year. Hopefully we'll have a great season. I think the team is great. We need the fans to get behind us and then they'll see how good we are.”

By the way, it turns out he does have great vocals, yeah.

Sherif is happy in his new home, his move eased by the presence of two Dutchmen, Denzel Hall and Ar'Jany Martha, and the fact that he already knew fellow kids Dan Gore and Marvin Keleta from their days together in the Premier League's junior ranks.

His thoughts turned towards his impending debut. “I'll be a handful for defenders,” he said.

And he was true to his word. Two days later, he became an instant crowd favourite when he capped an eye-catching performance at AESSEAL New York Stadium against Wigan Athletic with the first notch of his senior career.

As he slid in to adroitly divert the ball over the line at the North Stand end, something from his interview drifted back to me.

“Goals. Especially goals.”