Jack Holmes fairytale as Rotherham United win race for non-league youngster's signature
Trialist Jack Holmes has leapt from non-league football to League One by signing a contract with Rotherham United.
The Millers moved swiftly to ward off competition from other teams to sign the young right winger on a one-year deal with the option for a further 12 months.
It’s only eight days ago that Holmes played for Southern League Premier Division Central Division Stamford against Steve Evans’ men in a pre-season friendly.
The 22-year-old put pen to paper this evening after successful trial outings at Alfreton Town on Tuesday and against Championship Sheffield United at the New York Stadium on Saturday.
Holmes scored in Stamford’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Millers on July 19.
He then went on to catch the eye at the Impact Arena and today set up Rotherham’s equaliser and gave the Blades real trouble after coming on at half-time in a 2-1 loss.
Millers boss Steve Evans, pictured with Holmes, likened him to Kieran Agard, the attacker who earned a deal by impressing in a trial more than a decade ago during the Scot’s first spell in charge at New York and then went on to hit 26 goals in the League One promotion push a year later.
“Kieran was a project and didn’t do too badly,” the boss said. “Jack is in the same bracket.”
The Southern League Premier Division is the seventh tier of the English football pyramid.