Rotherham United's Reece James on 'frustrating' Sheffield Wednesday season and promotion hopes at the New York Stadium

The versatile 30-year-old will officially make the short move to the New York Stadium when his one-year Hillsborough contract expires. It will be a second spell at the club he served on loan in 2014-15, and a fifth in Yorkshire having also played for Huddersfield Town, Doncaster Rovers and Wednesday.

A key figure in a variety of positions as the Owls won promotion to the Championship via a dramatic play-offs which ended in an extra-time victory over Barnsley, James made his loan from Blackpool permanent last summer in a deal teed up under his former Doncaster coach Darren Moore, but signed off by his successor, Xisco Munoz.

Neither Munoz nor next manager Danny Rohl gave James much opportunity as he made just three league starts in the second part of an Owls career he summed up on Instagram by writing: “To say it’s been two contrasting seasons would be an understatement".

But there was no hint of bitterness now he has a good opportunity to add to his three League One promotions with a Rotherham side who have already made four signings under returning manager Steve Evans.

"It was a really frustrating season on the back of what happened in League One when you're a massive part of something and you come back to play for a club that you really enjoyed your time with," said James.

"It was mentally challenging but it never changed the way my mentality was – it was to train hard and hopefully get an opportunity, it just never came. unfortunately.

"That's what happens in football, it's a game of opinions and sometimes you might not be right for some people.

"But it doesn't stop the drive to prove yourself and that's something I'm wanting to do now. That's why I've chosen this challenge.

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"I want to show I've still got that ability to play at a high level and keep pushing.

"I'm wanting to improve and that's something the manager has said he wants to get out of me."

James won the third-tier title with Wigan Athletic in 2016 and 2018, and reached the League One play-off final with Sunderland in 2019.

Promotion is the overriding priority for Evans – his manager when on loan at Rotherham as a Manchester United youngster – which is why they have also signed Joe Rafferty, a key figure in Portsmouth winning the division last season, and Jonson Clarke-Harris, who went up with Peterborough United in 2020-21.

It is also why they are interested in George Byers, another free agent from Wednesday's League One play-off-winning team of 12 months ago.

"When you look at the recruitment that's been made so far they're players who've had promotions in the past or have been challenging at the top of this table,” said James.

"This division's a hard league.

"I'm sure you'll see some more quality come in."

Shaun McWilliams, promoted to League One with Northampton Town in 2023, has also signed, with Viktor Johansson joining Stoke City.