'Thank you for the perfect goodbye' ... Richard Wood writes for Rotherham United fans in the Advertiser for the last time

WELL, that's that then!

After nine years, 256 matches, three League One promotions, three Championship survivals, two goals at Wembley and a Papa Johns Trophy win, my playing career at Rotherham United is over.

You've got to look forward and signing for a new club in Doncaster Rovers is a fresh beginning, a new challenge, that excites me.

But I'll always remember my time with the Millers and so will my family. My sons, Graye and Jenson, are 12 and 15 now and following their dad playing for Rotherham is all they've ever known. Their mum, Jade, has always been there with them.

A massive part of how I behave and what I do is for my kids. It's one of the reasons I wasn't ready to turn to coaching just yet and wanted to carry on playing at the age of 37. They love coming to watch me.

Rotherham United have been a huge part of their lives and they've appreciated everything as much as I have. They'll become Donny supporters now, I suppose, and they've got the shirts already. However, they are gutted that I've left AESSEAL New York Stadium.

My last year with the Millers was certainly full of ups and downs and finished on a glorious high when we managed to secure our second-tier status.

After being left out of the squad and not being involved from January onwards, I'd got it into my head that my season would just end with me on the sidelines. I'd accepted it and would have still looked back fondly on my time at Rotherham because of how unbelievable so much of it had been.

Then I was recalled for the final six matches and what happened in the next few weeks left me feeling truly humbled.

That last month and how the fans embraced me will always stand out. It just topped everything off and made things so special.

My first game back, at home to Luton Town in April, I was on the bench and I wanted to warm up after one minute! When I finally did jog down the touchline the reception I received from the crowd was just amazing.

The results helped. We did well against the runaway champions, Burnley, then we had that unforgettable win over Middlesbrough at New York that kept us up.

I get a bit emotional just thinking about the kop singing my 'Magic' song to me.

I don't have a massive ego - I'm not the type to milk things - and I wasn't sure how to react. I just tried to try to take everything in.

To get that send-off from supporters and then have a similar one at Wigan Athletic after the final match was the perfect goodbye.

ME and my two boys standing together while that massed bank of North Stand red and white in front of us belted out my song ...

Apologies for banging on about that Middlesbrough reception but it meant so much to me.

I find it a bit weird because I just see myself as steady old Richard Wood, a plain 'head it, kick it' defender. There's nothing over-exuberant about me, so for so many supporters to be singing my name really touched me.

Not many people will ever experience anything like that and the fact my kids were there to soak it all in with me made it even more memorable. Jenson and Graye have got pictures, videos and memories of that day for life. 

My kids look up to me and I feel the responsibility that that brings. I'm just trying to teach them good life skills and the importance of conducting yourself in a decent way.

I try to show them that there's back-story to everything. Me stood there with the North Stand singing to me didn't just happen; years of effort were behind it.

In a way that's suitable for children's ears, I try to tell them about the difficulties of injuries or not being picked for the team and what's needed to face up to those setbacks and overcome them.

I don't want them to be exactly like me - I want them to live their own lives - but I hope that they take on my morals and values and behave in a similar way.

The crowd chanting their dad's name tells them I must have done quite a few things right. I hope they can take little bits of that. My biggest aim in life is to raise two good boys.

ROTHERHAM and I fitted together. What they stand for as a club is what I stand for as a person.

I'm not the most skilful player. I'm dead simple, hard-working and give everything. That's what the Millers have been about in my time there.

I felt a complete sense of belonging over a long period and that feeling is probably what I will miss the most. We suited each other.

I'll miss the fans and how we've inter-reacted. I'd like to think I can pay a visit to New York as a spectator in the future and they'll come up to me and have a good chat.

There have been so many good times but the abiding memory has to be Wembley 2018 when I scored both goals in our League One Play-off Final win over Shrewsbury Town.

The Middlesbrough game last month was something really special as well but that was more of a farewell so it's tinged with a bit of sadness at leaving.

Wembley was just joy, adrenaline, family ... everything.

I started pre-season training with my new club last Wednesday and I'm looking forward to getting to know all the lads at the Eco-Power Stadium.

It's been nice to have a break, go on holiday and spend some good time with my family abroad but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things now.

I'm looking forward to keeping on playing and reaching 650 games. Twenty-one more to go!

I PLAYED with some great players in my nine years with the Millers and if I had to pick one above all others it would midfielder Ben Wiles.

He's my mate, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but Wilesy stood out. He has the X factor and he can be whatever he wants to be. There's something about him that most players don't have; not so much in his playing style but in how he acts and in his aura.

He'll go on to have an amazing career.

HELLO again, my old friend.

Doncaster manager Grant McCann and I have known each other for a long time. I used to live on the same street as him in Barnsley when he was playing at Oakwell and I was with Sheffield Wednesday. We got to know each other then and got on well.

When he took the Donny job, he phoned me on his first day in the role and that told me that he wanted me. I went to meet him and knew straightaway that I would sign for him.

It sounds great what is now happening at Rovers after a tough few years. It's local for me and some good signings have been made. The feel-good factor is there and things seem to be turning around.

I think Donny and I can be good or each other and I hope to have a big influence on the team. I was a leader at Rotherham and I want to carry that on in my new surroundings.

I'll act exactly the same as I did at the Millers and the target is to help Rovers win promotion from League Two.

HUGE thanks go to the club's media team for producing that two-hour video of my time with Rotherham.

It was a pleasure to sit down with Sam Todd, Kelham Hilton and Fin Godbehere at the start of process and go through all the highs and lows of nearly a decade in a red-and-white shirt.

I know that countless hour of work from those three went into the finished product.

Sam heads up the unit and has always been brilliant with me. He's a great guy and someone for whom I have nothing but respect.

Finally, I'd like to sign off by thanking Paul Davis for the time and effort he's put into compiling my Advertiser columns over the years.

I wasn't sure about doing even one when he first broached the subject with me back in 2019 yet we've ended up doing 167 of them together!

I enjoyed all his visits to the training ground, all the interviews, all the coffees. Our Monday-morning get-togethers were a great way to start a week.

I'll miss that regular Sunday-night text: 'Okay for 10.30am tomorrow, Skipper?'