How Steve Evans put Rotherham United in pole position to land Jonson Clarke-Harris

Old boy Jonson Clarke-Harris today signed a two-year-old deal that reunites him with the man who was his manager at AESSEAL New York Stadium nearly a decade ago.

Since leaving the Millers in 2018, the striker has gone on to be one of the third tier's most prolific scorers, twice winning the 'Golden Boot' award, and will lead the push for an instant return to the Championship next term.

The 29-year-old said: “I spoke to the boss recently and he told me he wanted to bring me to the club. He knows what I think of him.

“I've spoken to him on numerous occasions since I left here when I was young. It's an absolute pleasure to come back to the Millers and work with him again.

“The boss was a big factor in me coming back, it was massive for me. The mutual respect is there. I've got a lot of time for him and we get along. I know what I'm getting from him as a manager. I'm looking forward to experiencing it again.”

Evans began his second spell in charge at New York only a month ago and has moved quickly to land the centre-forward who had plenty of other options after his goal exploits with Bristol Rovers and then Peterborough United.

It's a real coup for the Millers to capture the feared marksman only 11 days after the final match of their second-tier relegation campaign. Even better, they have done so without paying a fee as he has just left Posh where his contract was due to expire.

Clarke-Harris was a raw youngster when Evans first brought him to New York from Oldham Athletic in 2014 - for a club record at the time of around £350,000 - and had mixed fortunes before his departure under Paul Warne four years later.

He hit the target nine times in 71 outings in the Championship and League One and missed almost all of the 2016/17 season after suffering severe damage to his knee in a summer friendly with non-league Parkgate.

“I'm pleased to be back,” he said. “It was an easy decision for me. I had to go out and play games after I had a terrible injury when I was first here. I feel like I've got unfinished business.”

The player was at New York yesterday and his arrival was announced this afternoon after he had passed a medical.

Clarke Harris joined Peterborough from Rovers for £1.2 million in 2020 and went on to score 78 goals in 164 League One and Championship appearances.

Twenty-four goals in a single League One season with Rovers saw Posh make a seven-figure bid for him and he repaid them by scoring 33 times in his first season to help them to Championship promotion.

Twenty-nine more goals followed in the third tier two years later following their relegation

This campaign brought 13 goals but he was often on the bench as Posh sought to sell him – and prepared for life without him – during the final year of his deal.