Matt Hamshaw and his reason for not taking the Rotherham United hot-seat in 2022

The 43-year-old, who won three League One promotions with the Millers as a coach under then-manager Paul Warne, has just said ‘yes’ to the hot-seat at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

But it was a different story in October 2022 when Warne was heading down the M1 with his coaching staff for a new challenge at Derby County.

A call came into Hamshaw from Rotherham's hierarchy but he passed up on the opportunity to be the club's next boss and the position was eventually filled by Matt Taylor.

“I didn’t think I was quite ready when it happened last time,” he said. “Not because I didn’t back myself, I just felt the timing was key.”

The Millers were riding high in the second tier and he knew that keeping them there would be a near-impossible task for someone taking their first steps in management.

“I felt like I was in a no-win situation replacing Warney because we were eighth in the Championship,” he reflected.

Thirty months on, things have changed. He was free after leaving Derby – where he'd added another League One promotion to his CV – and the local lad had no hesitation in accepting the challenge of replacing sacked Steve Evans.

“When you go on courses, everyone asks you: ‘Do you want to be a manager?’,” he said. “I’ve always said that if the opportunity arose I wouldn't be fearful of it.”

‘Hammy’ is a Rawmarsh boy who once had Alex Ferguson sitting in the Hamshaw family home asking him to sign for Manchester United.

Injury robbed him of the playing career he should have had but he still went on to spend 17 years as a pro with the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Mansfield Town and Notts County.

He's a boyhood Miller but never played for the club, although he did famously once wear the red-and-a-white shirt in his primary-school years.

There is photographic evidence of him donning a Rotherham kit as a mascot at Millmoor that Warne, a few years ago, mischievously released to the media.

“That was as an eight-year-old kid,” Hamshaw said. “When you’d ‘been’ Bobby Williamson in your back garden, it was a big thing to suddenly be running out with the team.

"It was the game in which Stewart Evans scored a diving header and he was a Rawmarsh lad, like me, which was nice. From the cross, John Buckley broke his leg. Stewart scored an unbelievably good diving header and everyone was talking about John Buckley. It’s amazing what you remember.”

As for the photo ... “That picture came out and did me no favours, did it,” he smiled.

Hamshaw looks more than capable of making the transition. He has lifted the mood in the Millers camp in the short time he has been at the helm and his first match in charge, on Tuesday, brought a League One triumph at Northampton Town.

Rotherham fans, wearied by an ailing campaign under Evans, have taken to the appointment.

The new man is delighted at the welcome he's received but sounds a note of caution as he surveys the final batch of fixtures that will have to be negotiated with an injury-depleted squad.

“It was only a 2-0 away win at Northampton but, walking around now, it’s like a ray of light,” he said. “It’s dead weird, everyone has been moaning and groaning and with one game everything seems amazing.

“It’s really hard for me not to go with that crest of a wave because I don’t want to dampen it, but at the same time it needs dampening because I know further down the line what is coming with the group of players.

“There’s going to be a couple of bad results as I can’t keep asking the lads to go at the tempo I want them to without being able to change the side.”

Hamshaw has returned with goalkeeping coach Andy Warrington, another member of the four-man team that brought so much good to New York over their six-year spell together in S60.

He's Indebted to Warne and assistant manager Richie Barker for the influence they've had on him.

"You learn a lot," he said. "Warney makes me see a different side, Rich does too.

“I think of some of the managers I’ve played for: Chris Turner, Paul Sturrock, Steve Cotterill, Stuart Pearce with the England youth set-up ... you see different things and think ‘I like that’ or ‘I don’t like that’.”

The Millers have always been in his blood and the names of Des Hazel, Tony Grealish, Chris Wilder, Billy Russell, Billy Mercer, Nigel Johnson and Nigel Pepper crop up as he recalls his days as a fan on the terraces.

That was at Millmoor. Nowadays, it's Rotherham's new ground and Hamshaw will be the lead figure there for the first time this afternoon when Blackpool are the visitors.

He said: “I always say it, and I am a bit soft like this, I can’t believe New York Stadium is there. It’s a bit surreal. It will be a really special day.”

He wasn't ready then but he is now. He trusts himself.

“The beauty of football is that there are loads of different ways to do it,” he said. “There's isn't a right way or a wrong way, there's your way.”