Evans ‘Raggett Is A Brilliant Signing’

Rotherham United Manager Steve Evans said that getting Sean Raggett is a ‘brilliant signing’.

Speaking after the centre-back signed a two year deal on Friday the Millers Boss told Radio Sheffield, ‘He was almost an ever present in an outstanding Portsmouth team last season and we’ve worked on this almost since I walked in the building and it’s been a team effort to get him here.

‘It’s a brilliant signing for us. To get someone in with the calibre, the experience, who is desperate for another promotion and came for all the right reasons.’

The Millers have brought in five new signings (something us, the fans, are both delighted and maybe a little bemused with as we’ve never had this many new players so early before!) and Steve said, ‘I saw something in the media that Blackpool said ‘yes Rotherham have done some really good signings but we take our time’. Does somebody think I’ve not been planning these since January or February as to players who would improve us, make us better? All the signings we have announced and are going to announce are players we have been trying to attract for the best part of three or four months.

‘Joe Rafferty is a fantastic full-back who can play either side of the pitch. He was outstanding for Preston against my teams in the past. He’s an athlete, a promotion winner who is desperate for another one. Him going against PK (Peter Kioso) will be a tremendous battle to who gets that shirt.

‘Shaun McWilliams is a young player, a hungry player, he’s got a heart the size of Big Ben, he’s got an engine like a Ferrari and the other players will love him because he gets around the pitch, gets goals and he was sought after by many clubs.

‘Reece James is a competitor and was absolutely fantastic for Sheffield Wednesday in the season they won promotion back to the Championship. A new manager came in and got a winning team, a winning formula so he’s had to battle this season. He’s got a great left foot and wants more success. He’s a brilliant signing for us. But just because he’s come in doesn’t mean he’ll get the shirt in front of Cohen Bramall.

‘It’s no coincidence that we’ve attracted players who have won promotions and they’ve won promotions because they are good players, they’re sensible players. We are trying to create a team where there is great competition in every department on the pitch and by the end of next week we will have created more competition with two or three more signings.

‘We’re excited by it. There’s a lot more work to be done, we aren’t going to rest on our laurels. We have agreed terms with another player but can’t get him with the medical team until Tuesday or Wednesday. And when I first came back the Chairman was massive that we checked these players out thoroughly because of the injury situation last season.

‘I’ve got a responsibility to me and my staff coming out of a safe environment such as Stevenage and coming back to the New York Stadium was a great risk to me because I have to deliver success to the Millers. I’m not misguided though and I know we have to produce a team that is the DNA of this football club. We are Rotherham United we aren’t pretentious, we have no gimmicks, we are what we are and led by a fantastic man (Tony Stewart). I want to build a team that can compete in a tough League One.’