The Steve Evans Column: 'Time to bury the past and build a new future … together'

League One opening day is upon us and I've been looking forward to this weekend ever since I took the Rotherham United hot-seat in April.

Last season was one to forget. I'm here to do my utmost to give the fans one to remember.

After events in the 2023/24 campaign, there had to be an evolution at the club. I think Tony Stewart described it to me as ‘a revolution’ when I came in.

When our chairman was getting to the point where he didn't want to watch football matches, something had to change. If he was feeling like that, you can imagine how down the supporters were.

I can sense that my arrival has given the mood a lift. People have been kind enough to say that to me and I only have to go about the town to feel it.

The chairman has always said that he's nothing more than a custodian and that the real owners of Rotherham United are the supporters.

We've seen the best uptake ever in season tickets for a League One season. It's been incredible. There's huge enthusiasm among fans for the team to do well. That word, ‘United’, is there for a reason.

I felt a real connection with the Millers in my first spell in charge a decade ago and, if it's possible, I feel it even more now.

Rotherham United bites you. The passion of the supporters, their love for the club, is something else. They've welcomed me back with open arms.

Our fans love a player who will chase, harry and work hard and they also love a player who scores a goal. That's the combination we want to give them.

They're salt-of-the-earth working-class people and that resonates with me. I was brought up in Glasgow in that kind of environment and I'm very, very proud to be able to come back and lead this team for a second time.

I like to think our signings have been pretty decent. We pulled off the League One coup of the summer in bringing striker Jonson Clarke-Harris to AESSEAL New York Stadium.

You can't argue with the threat of a player who's won the division's ‘Golden Boot’ award the last twice he's played full seasons in it.

The days of recruitment being down to one person are long gone. As the manager, you have the final say on players coming in and players going out, but you'd be foolish to have experienced people around you and not take opinions.

My number two, Paul Raynor, has played a big part, director of football recruitment Rob Scott has played a big part and the chairman has been nothing but totally supportive.

I can't wait to get started. We're one or two little bits away from where I'd like the squad to be but we're in really good shape for the challenge of competing for promotion in the richest and toughest League One there's ever been.

I've taken this great club up twice in and past and I know that, first and foremost, you need consistency. The backing of a good chairman is so important too.

Paul Warne, who worked on my staff the first time around, was a brilliant manager here but I remember back in 2017/18 he went seven League One games without a win.

Warney told me the following story. He got the call to go to see the chairman and he thought: 'Here we go.' Then the chairman told him he'd get another five or six games because he believed in him. The team won their next match and got promoted that season!

Tony Stewart rescued the Millers from oblivion 15 years ago. They were going to the wall. Since then, they have been run meticulously well by a man who has his heart in the club as well as his money.

One of the wonderful things about Rotherham United is that everyone inside the club wants everyone to do well. We want our kitman to be the best kitman, we want our grounds staff to be the best grounds staff, we want the pies served inside the stadium - and I'm partial to one or two of them myself! - to be the best.

How will we look next season? We'll be strong, we'll be disciplined, we'll attack the opposition. Whatever shape that leading group takes, we'll be in it.

Are we good enough to go up? I think we need a lot to happen for us. If it's based on who spends the most and average attendance, we might not be in the top five. But we'll certainly compete.

We've got good players, some of whom have made the journey before. Some of the staff have too.

The performances last season just weren't good enough. There was no heart, no fight, no desire.

When I came back, Paul and I watched a lot of footage, as there were still three Championship games to prepare for: Birmingham City, Bristol City and Cardiff City. We turned to each other and said: 'Where is the pride?'

You can't expect your supporters to give you pride and passion if they're not getting it reciprocated on the pitch.

Imagine those fans playing with those shirts on. They might not be good at crossing a ball or scoring a goal but I'll tell you what they're going to do: they're going to give it everything.

We have to match that passion on the terraces and then play with our heads as well as our hearts.

My message is this: let's have a go together.