The moment Rotherham United's chairman decided to part company with Leam Richardson and make a move for Steve Evans

The chairman revealed he was on a cruise when it became obvious to him that he had to take action to rescue a sinking Millers ship.

Richardson had arrived in December but couldn't spark a revival. The club's relegation from the Championship was confirmed on April 6 and Evans’ return for a second spell in charge was announced nine days ago.

“I went on a cruise about three or four weeks ago,” Stewart told the Advertiser at last Friday's unveiling press conference. “It came into my head then and I couldn’t get off the cruise quick enough. It just seemed so obvious.”

Rotherham's owner had been keen on a reunion with the man behind two promotions and a season of second-tier survival a decade ago during the process that led to Richardson succeeding Matt Taylor.

With defeats continuing to mount and supporters complaining about the style of football as a season of woe was drawing towards a close, Stewart wasn't prepared to miss out on his man again and paid compensation to Stevenage to bring Evans and number two Paul Raynor back to New York.

“I, like the fans, was just getting more and more down,” he said. “We're in the entertainment business and the entertainment had escaped.

“We've now got a lot to look forward to because Steve and Paul are show business. They know what football's about, they know what winning's about.

“I first came across Steve when he was managing Crawley Town. I was watching them on TV and they had such drive and passion that I remember saying to (son) Richard: 'Who's the manager there?' That brought Steve to Rotherham the first time.”

Stewart says he shoulders the blame himself for the slide back to League One as it was he who gave the green light for Taylor and Richardson being appointed.

“There were 50-odd high-calibre people who wanted the job each time,” he said. “The board would go through the names and get down to the last two or four and then I’d come in.

"I approved of every manager that’s come in. I don’t move away from my responsibility."

Stewart and Evans - who has promised a promotion push next term - have remained close friends over the years and the second coming of the manager with a proven track record with the Millers has brought back all of the chairman's old enthusiasm.

“I feel so good about it,” he said. “You get a person in and he might have been good at, say, Bolton Wanderers. Is he good at Rotherham? Matt's now doing all right at Bristol Rovers but here it didn't work.

“The reason why I'm so positive is that I know Steve, I know what the guy can do. He's proved it.

“I know what budget he worked on last year, I know what budget he'll work on here. I know I'm giving him a chance to get better players in because we're a bigger club than Stevenage.”