New boss! Leam Richardson takes the Rotherham United hot-seat

The 44-year-old, who led Wigan Athletic to the League One title in 2022 and then spent nearly half a season with them in the Championship, takes over from Matt Taylor who was sacked after the November 11 5-0 loss at Watford.

He has signed a two-and-a-half- year deal and is charged with trying to keep the bottom-placed Millers in the second tier for a second successive season.

His first match will be tomorrow night's clash at AESSEAL New York Stadium against West Bromwich Albion.

It has yet to be revealed whether interim boss Wayne Carlisle and the coaches who have been helping him, Dan Green and Scott Brown, will remain at the club.

Richardson has been out of work for 13 months following his departure from the DW Stadium when the effects of an unstable ownership regime saw the Latics start to unravel.

He had guided them into the top half of the Championship early in the campaign, but off-field problems led to results slipping, him losing his job and Athletic suffering points deductions and relegation.

Before stepping up to be a boss, the former Accrington Stanley full-back had been a successful number two to Paul Cook at the Accies, Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan.

He believes being away from the hot-seat has been good for him and will improve him as a manager.

Speaking before his New York appointment, he said: "The time has been really good for me.

"On a personal level, it’s given me an opportunity to support my family. Professionally, I’ve been able to reflect on my career, maintain what I believe in and discard some of the less important things

"I have been able to re-energise before focusing on the future and my next challenge. I’m sure, when that comes around, I’ll know it’s right for me. Just as importantly, I hope they will know I’m right for them."

Richardson was always a figure of interest to Rotherham during the new-boss hunt, although he wasn't their top choice.

They turned to him after Nathan Jones rejected the role and talks with Gary Rowett and Mark Warburton didn't work out.