Rotherham United centre-half hunt as Matt Hamshaw addresses Cameron Humphreys and Hakeem Odoffin developments

Cameron Humphreys departed this week on the eve of the start of pre-season training after rejecting a new contract while fellow centre-back Sean Raggett isn't expected to be fit until September.

Speaking at a fans forum at New York this evening, Hamshaw, who took the hot-seat in March, revealed one of the priority targets in his recruitment for the 2025/2026 League One campaign.

“We're desperate to bring in centre-halves,” he said.

Fleetwood Town's Brendan Wiredu is known to be a player of interest to the Millers in that position.

Rotherham offered Humphreys a new contract but he chose to leave for Port Vale after a three-year stint in South Yorkshire.

Hamshaw explained why the saga dragged on for several weeks, in contrast to the situation of another central defender who rejected a fresh deal, Hakeem Odoffin.

The club announced well over a month ago that Odoffin's time in S60 was over and they expect him to move up a division before August 2 opening day.

“I would have liked Haks to have stayed,” said Hamshaw who had eight matches in charge at the close of last term. “In every game I saw him, he was excellent.

“At the same time, Haks wants to try to progress and play Championship football.”

The Millers negotiated for longer with Humphreys in the belief that there was more chance of him staying than his teammate. At the same time as negotiations were taking place, they were also focusing on potential new blood.

“Cam was a different proposition,” the manager said. “I'll be 100 per cent honest, I didn't think he would get higher suitors. We left that offer there.

“We don't leave that contract there and just focus on Cam, we leave that contract there and try to bring other players in.”

Chief operating officer Paul Douglas gave the audience an insight into why Humphreys didn't have terms put in front of him until after the reign of Hamshaw's managerial predecessor.

“Steve Evans was never a big fan and had no interest in extending his time here," the COO said. "That explains why it took so long to make an offer.”

Douglas and Hamshaw were the only members of the panel this evening, with chairman Tony Stewart and director of football recruitment Rob Scott, both of whom usually attend such events, absent.