Diagouraga – ‘Staying Up`

New Rotherham United midfield player, Toumani Diagouraga, says the Millers have a good chance of staying up because there is ability at the club.

He told The Advertiser, ‘There are good players here and they like to pass the ball around which suits my style of play.`

Diagouraga, on loan from Watford, will be a Miller until the end of the season, with the Hornets paying his wages.

He was barely on first name terms with his team mates when he pulled on his first Millers shirt and played in the local derby against Chesterfield ‘I met the squad on Thursday and trained for two days with them before we played on Saturday,` he said. ‘I found it difficult. But I came here to play first team football every week and improve my game.`

Manager, Alan Knill said, ‘He is going to have to wise up to the physical demand of the lower league if he wants to be a success. This league is about winning second balls, fighting and scrapping. You have to learn pretty quickly otherwise the play just goes past you.`

The 6`2″ nineteen year old Parisian had a loan spell with Swindon Town last season so will be used to fighting a relegation battle. He started on the bench for the Millers against Millwall yesterday and came on during the second half for Richie Partridge.