Patience is a virtue, and Michael Smith has had to show plenty of that so far this season whilst waiting for an opportunity to lead the Millers' attack. However, now back in the starting line-up and in form in front of goal, the striker is reaping the rewards of hard work.
When then-unbeaten Coventry City came to the AESSEAL New York Stadium earlier this month, Smith slotted home two penalties as well as providing an assist for Matt Crooks to open the scoring, spearheading an emphatic 4-0 victory that stunned the Sky Blues.
Follow that up with another strike last time out in the win away at Blackpool, and it's been quite a week for the 27-year-old. Three goals in two outings is not a record to be sniffed at, but Smith is just delighted to be back doing what he loves the most.
"I'm enjoying my football again and it was hard watching on from the sidelines, but it's great to be back involved and pulling on that shirt on a matchday," he told www.themillers.co.uk.
"It's just nice to be able to walk back out onto the pitch with the lads and waking up on a Saturday morning knowing that you're starting makes life a whole lot easier, but it's up to me to keep performing now.
"When we were last in League One, it was all about putting little runs together and we've managed to do that over the last week with two strong displays in the league and a victory over Doncaster in the cup sandwiched in between.
"Hopefully we can continue that form when Oxford come here on Saturday, but they're a good side and we know it's going to be a tough test. We are all targeting another set of three points though and we're in confident mood."
Despite securing a hard-earned win at Bloomfield Road last weekend, Smith insists it wasn't the prettiest of encounters for the supporters to watch, but having been a part of the team that won promotion from the third tier in 2018, he knows the importance of 'ugly' wins.
The Millers will be hoping to make it three league triumphs in succession when Karl Robinson's Oxford United make the trip to South Yorkshire on Saturday, and Smith insists he and his teammates will be fully prepared to take on a side that arrive on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
"At home it can be hard to break teams down when they sit in, but Coventry came to play and we picked them off. Oxford are flying too so you'd suspect they won't change their principles, but whichever way they set up, we'll be ready," the striker said.
"Our win over Blackpool perhaps wasn't the most entertaining game for football enthusiasts, but we dug in to get the win and we'll have to do that on plenty of occasions across what is a long season.
"There is more than enough ability in the squad and the strength in depth we have is arguably better than it was when we won promotion a couple of years ago. We've just got to keep grinding away and take things one step at a time."
