Ben Wiles admits Rotherham United's refusal to sell him in the summer set him back, but now he is ready to listen to new contract offer

The Clarets, relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and strong favourites to bounce back as Championship leaders going into the World Cup break, had three bids for the attacking midfielder turned down in the summer.

Having seen Michael Ihiekwie and Michael Smith run down their deals and join local rivals Sheffield Wednesday on free transfers, the Millers were determined to keep the best of their under-contract players for another tilt at the Championship.

Wiles's contract expires next summer but the Millers have the option to extend it by 12 months. They would like to tie him down for longer still and he is ready to talk.

The Rawmarsh-born player admits it took him a while to come to terms with the disappointment of missing out on a move but November goals against Burnley and Sheffield United, the club his grandfather Eddie Colquhoun played for, as well as the quality of his recent performances, suggest he has now.

"That's gone now," said Wiles, who has been with the Millers since he was nine. "It was a moment back then and now it's different. I've put that behind me. It was hard to swallow. I struggled at the beginning with it.

"As a young boy who grew up in Rotherham, I never expected an opportunity like that to come up. Burnley are a club with a Premier League pedigree.

"At first, it (missing out on the move) was really hard to accept. It was difficult.

"There are things in the background that I probably don't know about. I can't have too much of a say on it because I don't know what was going off.

"That's gone. It's out of my head now. I just want to perform well for the team.

"I want to score as many goals as I can. I want to keep us in this league. I want us to prove a point, to make our stamp.

"I think the club are looking to offer me a contract and I'm happy to listen with an open mind and see if there are things in there that are close to my heart and I agree with.

"It's a bit more technical than people might think. People might think it's just a 'yes or no' situation but there are other factors. I'm happy to speak to the club and see where we go from there."

Sixteenth in the table after 21 games, Rotherham have made a good start in their bid to secure consecutive Championship seasons for the first time since 2014-17, and Wiles says he is happy to see the campaign out.

"Yeah, definitely," he said. "I can't speak too much on it now because I don't know what's going to happen. An amazing move could pop up but I could be not allowed to go. It's out of my control a little bit.

"While I'm at Rotherham United I'm going to give 110 per cent in every single game.

"This club have got a special place in my heart. They've brought me all the way through. I'm going to give my all every week no matter what is going on behind the scenes."