‘Invisible’ … ‘disrespected' ... Tom Eaves on his darkest days with Rotherham United

The centre-forward's worst spell came after Matt Taylor had replaced Paul Warne, the manager who had signed him for the Millers two years ago.

Eaves was used only sparingly by Taylor, who took the hot-seat in October 2022, and never scored during the boss's 13-month reign.

“I felt disrespected,” said the player who this week moved on to Northampton Town. "You think: ‘I've come here as the number 9 for the club and now this guy has come in and is barely playing me.’

“I wasn't treated with the respect I felt I deserved as a senior pro. He kind of lost me. I'm fine about saying that. Under him, I did feel invisible.

“I didn't play a lot, I didn't feel I was integrated in the group. That's fine. He's got his way of doing things, I wasn't part of it and I accept that.

“It was difficult. I was coming on as a late substitute and I still hadn't got my first goal, which was a monkey on my back. You try too hard.”

The player says he was encouraged to leave but that he couldn't find a destination that suited him.

"The manager said to me: ‘Look, if there's opportunities for you to move on, that's fine.’ But at the time there was nothing I fancied. There were opportunities at the bottom end of the country. Nothing worked out, deal-wise, so I ended up staying.”

After Taylor had been succeeded by Leam Richardson in December last year, Eaves' fortunes improved and he went on to score four times for the new man and then twice more when Steve Evans arrived towards the close of the season.

The striker paid tribute to the club's followers, saying his misery was eased by the backing they gave him amid his struggles.

“I felt their support and it meant the world to me,” he said. “A lot of fans would stop me and talk to me and say: ‘We're all behind you.’

“I can't fault them. They've been amazing with me through my whole time here. It makes you feel good even when things aren't going well for you. You think: ‘I am still here.’”

The 32-year-old made only seven league starts last term as Rotherham were relegated from the Championship but still managed to finish as top scorer.

“I wasn't on the pitch enough but I gave everything I could when I did play,” he said. “I could look myself in the mirror and think: ‘You've done everything you can.’”

Eaves bought into his move to the Millers, moving to the area and setting up home with his partner in Waverley, and the couple had their first child while he was with the club.

He is due to return to AESSEAL New York Stadium for a League One clash with his new employers in December and is hoping for a warm reception from a crowd who grew to appreciate his honest endeavour and commitment to the cause.

“I'll come back to Rotherham and look at the fans fondly and think how great they were with me,” he said. “To be fair, the chairman (Tony Stewart), Paul Douglas (chief operating officer) and Steve Evans have all been great with me as well.

“It will be nice to see some old faces again.”