Le Fondre happy to stay for Millers' promotion push

ADAM Le Fondre is ready to sign a new deal with Rotherham United but has vowed to leave if the club fail to win promotion this season.

Le Fondre, one of the hottest properties in the Football League, scored 30 goals for the Millers last season and is now valued in the 3m bracket by manager Ronnie Moore.

The striker, who cost just 100,000 from Rochdale last summer, has made it clear that he does not want to spend another season in League Two.

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However, he has stressed that he is still fully committed to helping the Millers win promotion.

Both Barnsley and Derby County are monitoring his situation while Plymouth Argyle made an unsuccessful player-exchange bid involving striker Rory Fallon.

Le Fondre feels the time is right to be rewarded for his goalscoring exploits with an improved contract and chairman Tony Stewart has also indicated a willingness to sit down and discuss new terms.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post last night, Le Fondre said: "I am happy to stay until the end of this season if that means winning promotion.

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"I am fully focused on playing for Rotherham and I want to sign a new deal – as long as the club shows the same ambition as mine.

"I know I said I wanted to play at a higher level last season – so it is even more important to me now," he added. "It was heartbreaking to lose in the play-off final last season because I want to play as high as I can for as long as I can."

The Millers' decision to reject the swap bid from League One side Plymouth Argyle has not upset the 23-year-old who says he had no interest in moving to Home Park.

"To be honest, I am a northern lad, all my family are based in the north, and I have just become father to a little girl," he revealed. "I don't think I could move so far away from home now."

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The Millers have made an excellent start to the new season and sit third in the table ahead of tomorrow's trip to second-placed Shrewsbury Town.

Stockport-born Le Fondre has already bagged six goals in the first six games and says his target is beating last season's tally of 30.

"I know I have made it a little bit harder for myself now but I am confident in my own ability," he said.

"We are setting our stall out to pass the ball more this season and that can only help.

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"At times last season, I was frustrated with the amount of long balls and I had to keep chasing out wide. In some games, I could go half an hour without touching the ball and I didn't enjoy that.

"The manager has made some good signings this summer and we have started well," he added. "I don't see any reason why we won't finish in the top three this time around."