Millers youngster continues comeback...
Mitchell Rose helped Rotherham United’s reserves to a 5-0 victory over Mansfield Town at Parkgate on Monday in what was the youngster’s first time back on a football pitch in almost eight months.
The midfielder, who has made a handful of appearances for the Millers, most notably in the 2-0 crunch-clash at Bradford City last season suffered a knee injury in the summer, shortly after scoring a screamer against Livingston in pre-season, which effectively brought an end to his season before it had even kicked into life.
“Emotionally I feel great because it’s been a very demanding and challenging last seven months having to come to terms with being injured," Mitch told www.themillers.co.uk "Especially with the boys doing so well, I was not so much expecting to be a part of it but it’s just frustrating being unable to train. I’ve had to work hard to get into this position and I’m so grateful of all the hard work by Denis, Warney, the management and Mark Stein in encouraging me and providing positive support helping me to get back.”
It was back in the early part of the season that the Doncaster-born midfielder arrived back on the treatment table days after undergoing the knife, and even the most basic of movement brought excruciating pain.
“Denis said to me he was going to have to force some movement in my knee and don’t be surprised if I cry. I laughed at him thinking he was being a bit over the top but he bent my leg and tears were in my eyes. I had to go back the next day and I was contemplating saying I couldn’t but I knew it’s what I had to do and it was days like that, that I had to get through to get back onto the pitch. It’s come so quick that three weeks ago I wasn’t even training.”
Rose started the game wide on the right-hand side of midfield, on his return to action and it was only moments before taking to the pitch that he learned he would be carrying some extra responsibility.
“Since I had my operation, Rayns has kept asking me if I’m fit for the reserves as a joke even when I was on crutches, but then on Friday he said I’d trained with good intensity and done well and asked me again if I could play because my attitude had been good and I’d responded well. Saturday I found out I could play and then just before the game I found out I would be captain as well.
“I took a lot of positives from it, but I know in the second half I lacked a bit of concentration and my decision making wasn’t always the best but to play 60 minutes left me absolutely delighted and I just want to keep moving forward.”