The evening Rotherham United new boy Tariqe Fosu caught the eye of Millers manager Matt Taylor

The Millers were holding out at the bet365 Stadium against Stoke City back in October after taking an early lead and a restless home crowd didn’t like what they were witnessing.

They made an exception, though, for Tariqe Fosu when the loan winger departed the Championship proceedings in the 79th minute.

Anger was being directed at other men in Potters shirts, for him there was only acclaim.

Fosu had been a livewire down the left, the single member of Alex Neil’s line-up to do himself justice.

That Tuesday evening in the Potteries brought Matt Taylor his first victory as Rotherham boss and reinforced what he already knew about Stoke’s star man.

The manager, of course, last week made Fosu a Miller, bringing him to AESSEAL New York Stadium for the rest of the campaign after parent club Brentford recalled him and decided to place him elsewhere.

“We defended for our lives in that game,” Taylor remembered. “Tariqe showed his attacking qualities. He was a constant threat.

“We’d watched a lot of Stoke’s games in the build-up to that match and he’d done well in those too. I’d known about him prior to that. He’d had success with Brentford.”

Ah, Brentford ... the Bees paid £750,000 to sign Fosu in January 2020, activating the buy-out clause in his Oxford United contract.

In his first season, he helped them to reach the Championship Play-off Final where they were beaten by Fulham. In his second, he played 51 times as Thomas Frank’s side made the final again and booked their place in the Premier League by seeing off Swansea City.

A hamstring injury that required surgery restricted him to a solitary top-flight outing last term and the 27-year-old found himself at Stoke at the start of this campaign.

Three months later, on that memorable night when the defending of Taylor’s team bordered on heroic, he twice came close to scoring while his teammates should have converted at least one of his several set-ups.

The Wandsworth-born Ghana international already had a bit of previous with Rotherham, having set Oxford on their way to a 2-1 success at New York in October 2019 in the season when Paul Warne’s Millers went on to clinch League One promotion.

He received possession 20 yards from goal, moved the ball away from Jamie Lindsay and the left-footed finish that sped beyond Daniel Iverson’s clutches into the far corner was sharper than the blue and yellow slashes on the U’s’ white shirts.

Warne had tried to sign him in the past.

Landing Fosu is a real coup for Rotherham as there was competition from elsewhere for the services of a player who started out at Reading and made his name at Charlton Athletic before his Oxford and Bees moves.

“He had conversations with other clubs,” Taylor said. “It was about who could attract him and give him the right opportunity.

“We work from a simple base: if he comes in and plays well, he keeps his place. I’ve said to him what I’ve said to you guys in the press: I see him as an attacking player.

“Creation is going to be his first port of call, along with absolutely working his socks off and putting in a shift. As long as he’s willing to do that he has a good chance of being out on the pitch.

“He’s an established Championship player and is someone who makes our group better.”

By the time Stoke came calling at New York on Boxing Day, their association with the forward was drawing to a close.

Supporters still rated him, particularly as a winger rather than as a wing-back, but more and more he was finding himself on the bench, a position he occupied throughout that 2-2 December 26 draw.

Just one more Potters appearance — a short sub’s cameo against Burnley four days later — would follow before last week’s switch to South Yorkshire.

Rotherham fans who witnessed his spectacular debut at Watford on Saturday now know how good he is.

The ones who’d made the October trip to the bet365 already knew.

In a game of Stoke 5 and 6 ratings, Fosu stood out. 8.

MANAGER'S VERDICT

ROTHERHAM United boss Matt Taylor has spoken for weeks of his desire to bring in wide players during the January transfer window.

Winger Tariqe Fosu, who joined the Millers on loan last Friday, fits the bill perfectly.

“He gives us an extra bit in our armoury in an attacking sense,” said the manager

“He can play off both sides. He can play off the left but he’s right-footed. We’re excited about working with him. He seems a good character.”

Fosu started 13 times for Stoke City in the Championship this season and also had seven outings off the bench.

However, he had been an used substitute in the Potters’ last three matches, prompting parent club Brentford to recall him and allow him to move to S60.

“We’re trying to bring in players of a certain quality and we feel we’ve done that with Tariqe,” Taylor said.

“His career hasn’t stalled by any means but maybe he’s lost a little bit of rhythm. All we can do is give him the opportunity to go out and play his best football.

Fosu became the third Rotherham signing of the month, following defenders Sean Morrison and Leo Hjelde through the door.

He knows Morrison from their time together at Reading nine years ago.

The player was sometimes used as a full-back or wing-back by Stoke and has operated on occasions in the middle of the park for Brentford.

Taylor is an admirer of the new arrival’s versatility but intends to play him primarily in his favoured wing role.

“His preferred position is high up on the outside of the pitch in a front three or in banks of four,” the boss said.

“He has flexibility in that he’s also able to play centrally. His game looks the same wherever he plays: he’s a shifter, he’s a mover, he can beat opposition players and he’s a creator.

“With the way our team is at the moment due to Ben Wiles being out injured we are in need of creation alongside the honesty we have already got.”

Taylor is keen on having more attacking width in his squad as it gives him the option to switch from a wing-back-based 3-5-2 system to other formations.

The Millers have lined up in a 4-3-3 shape in their last two matches.

THE PLAYER'S VIEW

“I’M happy to get things done and sorted and hopefully now I can kick on and show what I am about.

“The manager and I had a good chat before I signed and it was very positive. I bought into what he is trying to do. Hopefully I can help the team have a good run.

“It’s a new challenge and I am excited for it. My experience can help the team.

“I have played against Rotherham a few times and I know what they are about. I have played against them this season and they are a good side.

“Hard work comes first. I’m skilful and I will try to score goals and create chances for the team.

“Definitely we can stay up. That’s why I have come here: because I can think we can achieve something. It is all about belief.”

THE RATINGS

HERE’S how Tariqe Fosu made his mark on The Advertiser’s Paul Davis  when Rotherham United  triumphed 1-0 at Stoke City  on October 19:

Stoke (4-1-3-2): Joe Bursik 6; Dujon Sterling 6 (D’Margio Wright-Phillips 79), Phil Jagielka 6, Ben Wilmot 6, Morgan Fox 6 (Harry Clarke 68, 6); Josh Laurent 6; Tyrese Campbell 6, Lewis Baker 6, Tariqe Fosu 8 (Jordan Thompson 79); Dwight Gayle 5 (Nick Powell 71), Liam Delap 6 (Jacob Brown 71). Subs not used: Jack Bonham, Aden Flint.

THE STATS

Reading, 2013/17:

One appearance

Fleetwood Town, 2015/16 (loan):

Seven apps, one goal

Accrington Stanley, 2016 (loan):

Nine apps, three goals

Colchester United, 2016/17 (loan):

34 apps, six goals

Charlton Athletic, 2017/19:

65 apps, 11 goals

Oxford United, 2019/20:

33 apps, ten goals

Brentford, 2020/present:

63 apps, five goals

Stoke City, 2022 (loan):

20 apps

Rotherham United, 2023 (loan):

One app