Joe Hungbo settling in with Rotherham United


The July signing had already been given a warm welcome by his teammates and had shown signs of becoming a key member of the squad following his loan switch from German side Nurnberg.
Now, he's finally traded a hotel room for a place of his own in the area to help with the settling-in process.
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Hide AdThe Lambeth-born former Watford winger is enjoying being in England again after spending a year in Germany's second division, 2. Bundesliga.


“It's good to be back,” he said. “I felt I needed to step out of my comfort zone and test myself in a different place I wasn't familiar with and get to know myself a little bit more.
“I feel like I've done that. It was a great experience going out there. But now I'm here and I've got objectives and I want to achieve them, for sure.”
The main one of those objectives is winning promotion with the Millers who are seeking to build on an incredible run of climbing out of League One in every one of their last four attempts.
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Hide AdThe expectation sits easily with him. “That's to be enjoyed,” he said. “The challenge and pressure we have in front of us is to go up. We're experienced enough to go through that, we understand what this league is.”
The attacker suffered an ankle knock on opening day at Exeter City and, after sitting out the last three matches, is hoping to be in the matchday 18 for Saturday’s trip to Wycombe Wanderers.
The Millers have a poor record against the Chairboys in recent times, failing to score in their last three encounters with them and winning only one of the last 13 contests between the clubs.
They triumphed 1-0 at Adams Park through a last-minute Michael Ihiekwe header in the first match of the Covid-hit 2020/21 Championship campaign when games were played at empty stadiums.
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Hide AdHungbo is one of 14 summer signings as the presence of new boss Steve Evans sweeps through the club and the player is impressed how quickly things are taking shape.
“It's been a really big turnaround,” he said. “I feel like I've fit the team like a glove. Everyone is good to everyone and that's really important.
“There's real cohesion. On the pitch, we're going to have each other's backs and play for each other. There are leaders and winners in the changing room.”
Since his arrival, the 24-year-old has spent most of his time on the left wing - a position in which he's been a real danger with his pace, trickery and directness - but he has more strings to his bow.
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Hide Ad“Wherever the gaffer tells me to play, I'm going to do a job,” he said. “On the right, on the left, up front, as a ‘10’, left-back, I don't really care as long as I'm helping the team.”
The wide man, who Evans says went to the continent from Vicarage Road for a fee close to £750,000, has tasted promotion in the past, playing a bit-part in Watford's rise to the Premier League in 2021.
He's now part of a group containing a number of pros who know what it takes to make the leap from the third tier to the Championship.
Fellow new recruits Cameron Dawson, Reece James, Liam Kelly, Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty have all done it in the recent past and so has a survivor from the Millers’ 2022 success, Hakeem Odoffin.
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Hide Ad“It's vital to have people like that in the group,” Hungbo said. “They've been in certain situations where it's been tough.
“If it gets tough this season, they can give advice on how to come through it.
“It's good to have those characters around. I want to be part of a promoted side. I managed it as a youngster with Watford but it's different now, I feel more part of a team with Rotherham.
“I'll take a lot from the experienced players and use that to my advantage. Every day is a school day, every day you take on new things.
“Whether you’re young or old, you can always learn.”
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One to watch
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Hide AdGarath McCleary has been with Wycombe since 2020 after making his name with Nottingham Forest and Reading. The attacking midfielder's creativity has made him a key man for the Chairboys and he has scored 28 goals in 170-plus appearances. At the age of 37, he remains a first-team regular at Adams Park. The Oxford-born player is a Jamaica international and has 28 caps.
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Form guide
Wycombe: LWLL
Millers: LWDW
Wycombe lost 3-2 at home to Birmingham City last Saturday and on Tuesday went down 1-0 at Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.
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Past meetings
Mar 12 2022, League One: Wycombe 0 Millers 0
Oct 19 2021, League One: Millers 0 Wycombe 0
Apr 5 2021, Championship: Millers 0 Wycombe 3
Sep 12 2020, Championship: Wycombe 0 Millers 1
Michael Ihiekwe
Oct 26 2019, League One: Millers 0 Wycombe 1
Mar 12 2013, League Two: Wycombe 2 Millers 2
Daniel Nardiello 2
Nov 20 2012, League Two: Millers 2 Wycombe 3
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Opposition boss
Having come through the Ipswich Town youth ranks, Matt Bloomfield spent virtually all of his senior playing career with Wycombe for whom he played 558 times over an 18-year spell. Now aged 40, he hung up his boots in 2021 and was boss of Colchester United before taking the Wanderers hot-seat in February 2023. Last term, he led Wycombe to a tenth-placed finish.
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Man in the middle
Carl Brook was promoted to the EFL list in 2020 after spending several seasons in the National League. He was a busy man last term, taking charge of 35 matches in Leagues One and Two, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy. He refereed the Millers in March 2022 when they drew 0-0 at Shrewsbury Town as they closed in on third-tier promotion. His two matches this season have seen him show eight yellow cards.
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The odds
The bookies are offering a home victory at 7/5 and a Millers triumph at 9/5. The draw is 9/4. In 18 contests between the clubs since 1995, Rotherham have won five and the Chairboys eight.