Rotherham United transfer news: Millers sell defender now, rather than lose him on a free

The defender, who spent last season on loan at Barnsley, was the second Millers play to leave on Friday, after Joseph Hungbo was recalled by Nuremberg, then sold to Wigan Athletic.

When McCart limped out of the warm-up with a calf injury at Leyton Orient in October, manager Steve Evans described him as Rotherham's “player of the season so far”, limped out of the warm-up at Leyton Orient last Tuesday with a calf issue and is facing a significant spell on the sidelines.

But since returning in December, McCart's only start was the Boxing Day defeat to Wigan, having come on as a substitute in the previous four matches.

Rotherham were expecting to lose McCart on a free transfer at the end of the season with reports he had signed a pre-contract to move to Tynecastle, but have been able to get a reported fee of £70,000 for him now.

It gives Evans further headroom to operate in the transfer market after loans for Hungbo and injury-prone Nottingham Forest forward Esap Osong were ended.

Evans has made it plain for some time he is looking to rejig his squad in the mid-season transfer window, talking about "two or three players" coming in and a similar number making way.