Matt Hamshaw hopes Rotherham United can turn stereotypes about strength over style

At their best in recent years, the Millers have been much admired for their athleticism, their set-piece ability at both ends of the field and their determination, giving them a well-earned reputation as a difficult team to play against.

As part of the coaching staff under Paul Warne’s recent promotion-winning sides, former winger Hamshaw is rightly unashamedly proud of those qualities, and will be working hard to accentuate them again in his first full season as Rotherham manager, next term.

But he also hopes they can earn a bit more respect for the good football he hopes to get them playing in League One. Like all the best teams, he wants them to be able to mix the aesthetic with the aggressive.

"I want us to be athletic and good at set pieces but sometimes the narrative around the style of football frustrates me a little bit," admitted the boyhood fan who went from caretaker to permanent manager in April after the sacking of Steve Evans.

"You even watch Liverpool and they play long at times.

"There's a time to play out and we're trying to get the lads to play a little bit more and they're buying into it but we can't always come short, sometimes we need to stretch the game."

Like most fanbases in Yorkshire, Rotherham supporters like to see their team get the ball down when they can, but not simply pass for the sake of it, as some modern teams do.

"I think you've seen signs of some of the work that's gone into it,” said Hamshaw, who has now been in charge for seven matches, winning his first three.

"We've had a bit of luck in the games we've won but every football manager up and down the country will tell you you need a bit of luck.

"I think we've done it with a lot of quality.

"From having been here previously I don't know if we've had the feel-good factor around our quality sometimes because we've played really good football at this club over the years and sometimes it can get branded however it looks.

"I'm not sat here saying we're going to win every game but the effort, character and commitment are there.

"It's going to be a long drawn-out process but it's one that excites us all."

Rotherham complete a season of under-achievement at home to Peterborough United on Saturday.