Rotherham United boss Matt Taylor on when Millers fans can expect to see new signing Tyler Blackett in action for the Championship club

The former Manchester United, Reading and Nottingham Forest defender, a free agent since the MLS season ended his commitments with Cincinnati FC late last year, has joined on a short-term deal.

Blackett, who turns 29 next year, will provide a senior option with Sean Morrison and Grant Hall sidelined and Lee Peltier having a hamstring issue.

Taylor, whose side welcome Preston and Cardiff after visiting the Blues on Saturday, said: "We will be patient with him, but certainly we are looking at him to be a good addition.

"We are not going to wait until after the international break and introduce him then. He is going to be part of the squad this weekend and moving forward and I want to use him.

"He's a player I have admired for a long time.

"Any professional footballer will tell you that you can do all the road running and treadmill running and box to box type running on your own. But the short, sharp movements take a little bit longer to come back.

"But generally in his career, he's been a good athlete and anyone who has seen him play will testify that he moves well and covers the ground and has real power.

"There's no rush in relation to this week. But we obviously want him to be available and play some part and then we have a little break from the fixtures where we really push him physically and get him closer and closer to the levels that he will need to play consistently in the Championship.

"But he has done a little bit of training at (Manchester) United in the last few weeks and he has not come in cold."

The Manchester-born centre back attended the game against Queen's Park Rangers as a guest of the club last weekend.

On bringing him to the club, Taylor continued: "Ironically, we spoke to him leading into the start of January and he was on our radar and target list then and we had a conversation with him early in January in relation to him coming to the football club within that window.

"For whatever reason, that did not materialise, but certainly in terms of our current situation and that Tyler did not sign anywhere else and was available (helped) and location played its part in staying in and around the Manchester area.

"It was still a good fit and he's also a player of fantastic pedigree and one who has played at the top level and with Championship experience.

"He's a good age and we see this as a huge opportunity for ourselves, but Tyler to get himself in the mindset and eyesight of a lot of Championship managers, if not above.

"You never know what happens in the future and we have to make sure he is fit and ready and gets game time and also enjoys his time here and contributes."