Rotherham United boss Paul Warne opens up on Curtis Tilt exit

Tilt headed back across the Pennines to join the Latics on deadline day following two stints on loan there last season.

The 30-year-old joined the Millers for an undisclosed fee from Blackpool in January 2020, but made just one senior appearance for the club in the 2019-20 season - curtailed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while a glute problem ensured that he had to bide his time for his debut.

After spending last term at Wigan, a hamstring injury hindered Tilt's progress in pre-season back at Rotherham.

On recently moving back to Wigan, Tilt, posting on Twitter, said: "Can’t tell you how happy I am to be playing for this club again I just can’t stay away Smiling face with open mouth and cold sweat plus I get to meet the fans this time round."

On the prospect of a permanent switch transpiring for Tilt - whose Millers deal expires next summer - Warne said: "It could do. I am open to anything in regards to any of my players.

"Curtis is desperate to play, I can't knock him for that, I would never stand in the way of any of my players who want more guarantees and Curtis was in a position where he felt he wanted to play and my three at the back were doing really well and I had no reason to change and he wanted to go back out on loan.

"It wasn't what I wanted to happen, but I have to manage the group and player.

"For him to go out to Wigan and he does really well and they want to speak to me about a permanent (move), then we are open to anything, as we are about all of our players. He's not unique to that.

"At the end of last season I thought he did really well for Wigan, I liked how he was and was looking forward to working with him in the summer and it was his opportunity to stamp down his position for the shirt and obviously he got injured on international duty and he was out.

"Just before the window he was starting to get fit, but he couldn't get into the squad, so that is where the frustration comes from when he thinks he can't even get on the bench. His mind was already on playing somewhere else.

"I rate him as a player, I like him as a lad, I signed him, he is athletic, strong in the air but it has been coincidence with him. If he hadn't got injured this summer and he'd played better than the other three, then he would have been content.

"But football is not like that. There is an injury here, or a suspension there or someone splits with their partner and wants to move, you have to respect that."