Rotherham United keeper Dillon Phillips on always being up for a scrap as League One side start to fight back

THE fact that Rotherham United are starting to look in an upward direction as opposed to over their shoulders in League One is particularly welcome for Dillion Phillips.

The Millers custodian has sampled too many relegation fights to mention in previous seasons, although it has also brought out the best in him at times.

Like at Charlton Athletic in the 2019-20 campaign. The Londoners went down into League One, but Phillips’ form in a trying team season ensured that he would remain in the Championship with Cardiff City buying the Addicks’ ever-present that summer.

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Time fighting the drop during a loan spell at Belgian crisis club outfit Ostende in 2022-23 was rather more of an ordeal from a personal stand-point.

Rotherham United keeper Dillon Phillips. Picture: Kerrie Beddows.Rotherham United keeper Dillon Phillips. Picture: Kerrie Beddows.
Rotherham United keeper Dillon Phillips. Picture: Kerrie Beddows.

Relegated with the Millers last term, the league table did not look great for Phillips and his Rotherham team-mates after Boxing Day when they were too close to the bottom four for comfort.

A timely upturn in form since has seen Steve Evans’ side move up to mid-table and eased any relegation fears, thankfully.

Phillips said: "I won player of the season in a relegated team in the Championship at Charlton a few years ago and then went out to Belgium a couple of years ago and got relegated and struggled in the team because the whole environment wasn’t great and you are trying to do things maybe a different way.

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"There’s two sides to the coin. As long as you are putting your best self out there, hopefully you see the rewards.

"The tough times gave me a different sight of things. The way of doing things from Monday to Friday in Belgium was very different to England. Ultimately, it’s how you perform on a Saturday or Tuesday and what you are doing that decides your career.

"There’s always pressure for players to perform and you have to relish that, really. I enjoy it and there’s none of me that doesn’t want to be out there every week, whoever I am playing for."

Since their loss to Wigan on December 26, the Millers – who were in EFL Trophy action at near-neighbours Chesterfield on Tuesday evening - have gone unbeaten in their last four matches.

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Their form given added lustre by the fact that they have played a quartet of aspiring sides, to varying degrees, in Bolton, Huddersfield, Lincoln and Stockport. The Millers are now closer to the top six than the relegation zone, just.

It may only be a relatively modest four games without defeat, but it still constitutes Rotherham's best form of the campaign so far and is starting to lift the mood at the club.

Phillips added: "It’s a difficult league. I think everyone expected the standards to be really high this year. I don’t know if that has affected some teams, but it’s always competitive.

"It’s almost like the Championship is in that anyone can beat anyone this year in our league. It’s not just been us who were struggling. But we’re moving in the right direction (again). I think we've got a good enough group.”

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