'It's over' ... Lee Clark reveals his Rotherham United situation in a special salute to supporters

The Geordie, who was in charge for the final nine matches of the League One season, has been told that he isn't being offered the manager's job at AESSEAL New York Stadium on a longer-term basis.

Millers followers warmed to the 53-year-old for his honesty and commitment during his brief reign and many of them would have been happy to see him remain in charge.

Clark will never forget how they rallied around him when a close relative sadly passed away during his time in S60.

“It's incredible the impact the club made on me, really,” he told the Advertiser. “It got under my skin, got right into my heart in just five or six weeks.

“The supporters were amazing to me and my family. Obviously, I had the situation with my mother-in-law and the fans really supported us through that. They supported me before, during and after games in what was a really difficult season for them.

”They were supporting me moving forward. They wanted me and them to be part of the rebuild together. Unfortunately that isn't going to be the case, so I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to the fans and the people at the club.

“The staff - every single one of them - were unbelievable with me. I never met anybody who was negative or didn't want to help me. Everyone was just fantastic.”

Clark, who had been out of the game for four years before Rotherham asked him to succeed Matt Hamshaw, arrived too late to save Rotherham from relegation.

He was gutted about the drop yet realistic to know that there was nothing he could have done to alter the club's fate.

It didn't stop him savouring the chance he'd been given, and the big impact he made is likely to lead to him being offered an opportunity to manage elsewhere.

“The only thing that didn't top it all off was staying in the league, but I think that had already been decided before I came in,” he said.

“Once I got in there, I quickly realised there was a good group of players, good lads, but there were so far gone that it was going hard to bring them back to the levels that were required.

“I think we saw a turnaround towards the end of the season in the level of performances that we got out of the team. There were some positive things.”

The Millers are on the brink of appointing Steve McClaren as technical director and the former England head coach will choose the next New York manager.

Clark, meanwhile, already has other options and is believed to be in the frame for the vacant hot-seat at Hartlepool United, not far from his Newcastle home.

“Being at Rotherham has absolutely whetted my appetite,” he said. ”I've loved it, the buzz I've had on the grass and being with the players in the dressing room. The only time it got tough was, obviously, at five o'clock on a Saturday when you haven't picked up maximum points.

“There are opportunities out there. I've reminded people of what I'm about and what I can give them. I've had a few phone calls and hopefully in the not-too-distant future something is going to be there for me.”