Whilst the Millers’ winning five Sky Bet League One games in succession on their way to the top of the pile is grabbing the headlines at current, alongside the rate in which the team have been scoring, one man who has been reliable as ever at the other end of the pitch is Michael Ihiekwe.
Having appeared in virtually every game this season, the 27-year-old has impressed in a Rotherham rearguard that boasts one of the best defensive records in the third tier. With experience of winning promotion as a Miller back in 2018 he knows what it takes to succeed, but he was quick to reiterate that there’s a long way to go yet.
"Player for player we probably have a better squad now than we did last time we got promoted, despite the fact that we lost a few big personalities in the summer. We've brought in great quality and brilliant characters, and competition for places is arguably the best it's ever been too so we're in a good place,” Ihiekwe told www.themillers.co.uk.
"We're not looking too far ahead though as we can't afford to do that. Instead, it's just a matter of taking it one game at a time and we don't spend too much time looking at the league table. Our aim is just to carry on performing to the best of our abilities.”
Paul Warne’s men will be hoping to stretch their unbeaten run to eight games when they travel to Peterborough United this weekend, and that encounter will be the first of three matches in the space of just seven days.
The quick turnaround could be daunting for some, but Ihiekwe insists that he and his teammates enjoy playing so frequently. Following the trip to London Road, Ipswich Town and Burton Albion will visit South Yorkshire, and the centre-back has his sights set on more positive results.
"Plenty of games are coming thick and fast again and we relish that. The Christmas period allowed us to get on this run that we're currently on and we back ourselves because we believe that we're one of the fittest teams in the division,” he enthused.
"So, playing in quick succession suits us really. Two of the three games are at home as well which gives us an opportunity to maintain our recent form at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
"Peterborough away will be a test too and I'm sure they'll be fired up given the result when they came to our place. We got the better of them that day, but I'm sure that will be in their manager's team talk.
"They'd been on a wobbly run before getting an emphatic win against Wycombe on Tuesday night, so that will fill them with confidence again. We're aware that they're a side who can score plenty of goals on their day, so it's about us trying to negate that and use our qualities up the other end."