Ledesma says exciting times are ahead on return to the Millers

The mercurial winger has swapped one steel town for another after heading from Middlesbrough to Rotherham and has been handed the creative licence he craves by the Millers – after failing to convince Boro head coach Karanka that he could impress at the top end of the Championship.

Ledesma spent a rehabilitative loan spell with the Millers at the end of 2014 after being on the fringes at Boro, making six starts and seven appearances in total.

But upon his return to Teesside, there was no renaissance and redemptive path back to the first team, with his last action of 2014-15 coming in another temporary stint, at Brighton.

Ledesma ended the season as a watching onlooker as Boro negotiated their way to the Championship play-off final before losing out to Norwich City, with his final competitive game coming in his last outing on loan with the Seagulls in their 1-0 victory against Blackpool on March 21.

For the 27-year-old, who made his name in England at Walsall, starting afresh with Rotherham, with a manager who truly believes in him is manna from heaven and he is confident he can repay Evans’s trust.

Ledesma, who has signed a one-year deal after not being offered a new contract by Boro earlier this summer, said: “The manager can get the best out of me because he understands me. He understands what I need.

“Some other coaches don’t understand me. They don’t give me that confidence.

“Steve is like a father to me. He’s helped me a lot. He puts his arm round me and says nice words. He says ‘you can take all the free-kicks, you can do everything, you can do it’.

“And he tells me he’s saying that to me because he knows I can do it.

“At Middlesbrough, I gave my all, but I didn’t feel that confidence from the manager.

“I am so happy because Steve trusts me. If I miss a chance, he’ll try to help me.”

Ledesma’s time at Rotherham last season may have been brief, but it made a clear impression upon him in what proved to be a frustrating final campaign at the Riverside Stadium.

His arrival, alongside that of Tom Lawrence and Scott Wootton, provided a catalyst just when the Millers needed it in early winter, with his performances displaying verve and being well received by the Rotherham faithful.

Ledesma’s swansong for the Millers arrived in a 1-1 draw at Blackpool in December 28 when he found the net.

And he is now setting his sights on providing more eye-catching contributions in the coming weeks and months ahead – after being energised by his move south.

He added: “I really enjoyed my time at Rotherham. I had a smile every day on the pitch, I played games and I felt so happy.

“The players, manager and the fans gave me confidence.

“It will be nice to play a little bit more because last season I didn’t play too much.

“I will train very hard in pre-season and do my best next season.

“I think next season Rotherham United can surprise everyone. I have a good feeling about the team this year.

“It’s nice to come back to a club where I am liked by the fans. I feel really good about the fans, the coach and the players.

“I can’t wait to play the first game, at home against MK Dons.

“Hopefully, we can do something special out there and the fans can go crazy.”

The only disappointment over Ledesma at Rotherham last season was that he could not stick around longer.

After that tantalising spell, Ledesma has been granted a licence to entertain over the course of this coming season and, hopefully, beyond.

Millers assistant manager Paul Raynor is confident that the maxim of a happy player ultimately being a successful one will ring true in the case of the play-maker.

Raynor said: “He certainly had options to go elsewhere. But the nice thing was that he was looked after here.

“He loved being here and the fans really warmed to him and I know there’s been a good response from the fans with his signing.

“He comes in every day with a smile on his face.

“He’s a lovely kid and if he is out there playing well, he will always have a smile on his face, so we’re delighted to get him.”

Ledesma’s input of innovation and ingenuity into Rotherham’s midfield is certainly a welcome one given the departure of Ben Pringle to Fulham, with Ledesma’s work ethic also pronounced in his short time at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Raynor is confident it can reap further rewards now he has arrived at the club on a full-time basis, with the Millers failing to broker a deal in the January transfer window.

He added: “Manu has got that flair. Everyone saw that with him coming in for that month or six weeks last year.

“It culminated with us having a really good period in the season alongside the likes of Tom Lawrence, Reece James and Scott Wootton.

“I think everyone saw what Manu can do.

“But the nice thing about Manu is that he is such a nice character to have around.

“He’s also a hard worker; to say he has all the technical ability and flair, we have got him grafting.

“If we can get good quality players like Manu working hard and adopting the work ethic we always demand from our players, then that bodes well.”