Rotherham United left-back targeted by Portsmouth as Steve Evans praises loanee after win

Bramall is highly regarded by Pompey boss John Mousinho, with south coast outfit in the market for a left-sided option in defence with Jacob Farrell injured for the rest of the season.

The Millers player, 28, who started his career at Arsenal, is out of contract in the summer, when he could potentially leave for nothing.

He has featured in 16 league games for the club so far in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, Millers boss Steve Evans reserved praise for loanee Louie Sibley after he marked his home debut with a strong second-half as Rotherham United maintained their outside hopes of gatecrashing League One’s top six.

Sibley – who has joined from Championship side Oxford United for the rest of the campaign – was much improved on the restart against lowly Cambridge United on Tuesday night as the Millers chiselled out three key points, with their third successive home win and fourth league success in six games in 2025.

After Ryan Loft gave the second-bottom visitors the lead shortly after half-time, the Millers fought back through goals from Mallik Wilks and Hakeem Odoffin.

It was an important three points for the hosts, who lost 4-2 at Burton Albion last weekend, in a game which saw Sibley net on his debut.

Evans said: "Louie looked pedestrian in the first half when he couldn’t get into the game.

"But it was sheer energy and class in the second half and we had some really class operators.

"It was a fantastic win. The performance was poor in the first half for me.

"Lots of industry and hard work from the players, we are not down on that, but we just looked like we lacked a bit of urgency and tempo.

"But I will tell you what the group does not lack at the minute; character.

"To go a goal down - they are very fortunate aren't they with a ricochet and it breaks for them - and then we score two really good goals.

"I thought the character was two-fold, from the players on the pitch and our supporters deserve enormous credit because when you go 1-0 down early in the second half, we know what it's been like here for 18 months to two years – ‘here we go’.

"But we kept the character and energy side alive.”