Grant Ward gives his decision on a return to Rotherham United

The League One Millers had offered a deal to the winger, who is a free agent after leaving Ipswich Town, and thought they were close to landing the 24-year-old.

The player went on holiday to ponder his options and has returned to inform Rotherham boss Paul Warne that he would prefer to hold out for a Championship club.

“He’s back from holiday. I’ve had text banter with him for the last couple of days,” Warne revealed. “He doesn’t want to nail his colours to any particular mast at the moment.

Ward, who spent the 2015/16 campaign in South Yorkshire on loan from Spurs, is recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered last December and is still being treated by Ipswich despite his exit from Portman Road after three seasons in the second tier.

“He wants to get fit and then have a look,” Warne said. “Understandably, he wants to stay in the Championship. He’s going to keep doing his rehab at Ipswich. I understand that. They’ve been with him every step of the way and know exactly where they are with him.

“I think he just wants to get confidence in his knee before he looks to secure a deal. I’ve said: ‘Look, we’ll just keep in contact and see what goes.’

“At the moment, it isn’t something that is going to happen.”

There are more positive developments in the Millers’ pursuit of a goalkeeper, with an arrival expected shortly at New York. Young Leicester City shot-stopper Daniel Iversen is believed to be their target.

“The keeper we want we’re getting closer to,” Warne said. “We just have to agree to the demands of the parent club really.

“I was told on Monday that it was going to be done in the next 24 hours. Everything that can be done to get it done is being done. I would like to think I will have good news very soon.”

Rotherham continue their pre-season schedule at National League Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium tomorrow (3pm).

Meanwhile, their league match at Portsmouth on Saturday August 24 has been postponed because of safety concerns as there is a major festival in the area that day. A new date has yet to be announced.

Pompey say they will consider reimbursing Millers fans’ travel and accommodation costs on a case-by-case basis.

This article first appeared in the Advertiser