The world’s biggest sporting event will kick off this Sunday, when Qatar take on Ecuador in the first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
With the regular season paused to allow for the tournament to take place, we’ve profiled five former Millers who were selected to represent their countries on the biggest stage of all…
Graham Leggat
The first ever player to don both Rotherham’s red and Scotland’s blue at the World Cup, Graham Leggat was one of his day’s finest.
A prolific winger, Leggat spent the majority of his career with both his boyhood club Aberdeen and Fulham. The Scot made 254 appearances for Fulham from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, scoring 127 goals – including three in three minutes in a 10-1 thumping of Ipswich which saw him hold the record the fastest hattrick in the English league. This record stood over 50 years, until it was broken by Sadio Mané in 2015.
Leggat was brought to the Millers for a single season in 1968 by then-manager Tommy Docherty. The wide man made an immediate impact in Rotherham, scoring a brace in a 3-3 draw away at Leyton Orient. He would repeat this feat in his second game, endearing himself with the Millmoor faithful, scoring another brace as the Millers trounced Tranmere Rovers 4-1 at home.
The same summer in which Leggat switched Aberdeen for Fulham, he found himself selected for the Scotland squad that would travel to Sweden for the 1958 World Cup. He would feature in two of the Tartan Army’s three games as the tournament as they were eliminated in the group stage. Leggat featured in a loss to Paraguay and a draw with Yugoslavia, but found himself on the bench for a loss to France – a French outfit which contained the likes of Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa.
Scotland's Graham Leggatt (7) celebrates scoring a goal against Wales on the 4th of November, 1959.
Emlyn Hughes
One of England’s greats, Emlyn Hughes graced Millmoor from both the pitch and the sidelines as he took over as player-manager of the Millers in the early 1980s.
An illustrious career saw Hughes captain giants Liverpool to three league titles and FA Cup glory from 1967 to 1979, not to mention the two European Cups. After making over 650 appearances for The Reds and winning 62 caps for the England national team, Emlyn was made an OBE for his services to sport.
Hughes was brought to Millmoor following a two-year stint with Wolves, where he assumed a player-manager role. Clearly, Hughes’ talents were not only through his feet, but his mind as well as he was named Manager of the Month in February 1982 when he guided Rotherham to an amazing nine successive victories in the old Division Two.
Despite an international career spanning 11 years with England, Hughes only appeared at one World Cup due to England’s failure to qualify for to 1974 and 1978 iterations of the tournament. The singular World Cup in which Hughes would find himself included was the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The Three Lions went into the tournament as holders, but were ultimately eliminated in the quarter finals by a West Germany side featuring all-time greats such as Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, who both scored as England were put to the sword.
Scotland's Don Masson and England's Emlyn Hughes fight for the ball - watched by Scotland's Kenny Dalglish - on the 20th of May, 1978.
Peter Odemwingie
A notoriously tricky forward, Odemwingie was the embodiment of what it meant to represent the Super Eagles on the world stage.
Odemwingie enjoyed a well-travelled career finding all corners of the globe, from France to Indonesia, from Belgium to Russia. However, his prime years were spent in the English game. Peter was a quick-footed winger, appearing well over 125 times in the Premier League for West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, and Cardiff City.
Odemwingie joined the Millers in 2016, featuring under Paul Warne for his first games in the Rotherham hotseat.
Odemwingie is the only former Miller to appear at multiple World Cups. The first being the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. He would feature against both Greece and Lionel Messi’s Argentina as Nigeria were eliminated in the group stages. Peter would return to the fold for next World Cup – Brazil 2014. After making a cameo against Iran, the forward would start against Bosnia and Herzegovina and make himself a hero as he scored the only goal of the game, leading Nigeria to their first World Cup victory since 1998.
Nigeria's Peter Odemwingie attempts a shot against France at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, on the 30th of June, 2014.
Kári Árnason
A Swedish-born, towering Icelandic centre back, Kári Árnason made more appearances in a Millers shirt than he did for any other club.
Árnason began his career with his boyhood club Víkingur in Reykjavik, before Swedish outfit Djurgårdens IF saw something in the young defender. The move would greatly benefit both parties, as Kári would go on to win a Swedish league and cup double in 2005, before impressing on a trial with then-Championship side Plymouth Argyle. After 72 appearances in the green of Argyle, the defender would travel to Scotland for a season-long stint with Aberdeen.
After a season in Scotland, Árnason would return to England and find his home at the AESSEAL New York Stadium. Kári would feature 116 times in a Millers shirt, and was an integral part of the side that won back-to-back promotions from League Two to the Championship, firmly establishing himself as a fan’s favourite.
Kári Árnason’s international career with Iceland spanned 16 years. He was part of the side that enjoyed a ‘fairy tale’ run in Euro 2016, earning specific praise for marking Cristiano Ronaldo out of Iceland’s draw with Portugal – who would go on to lift the trophy. He also featured in Iceland’s famous giant-killing, when they eliminated England in the round of 16. His impressive performances at this tournament led to Árnason being named in Iceland’s squad for the 2018 World Cup. He would go on to feature in a 1-1 draw with Argentina and a 2-0 loss to Nigeria as Iceland would depart in the group stage.
Iceland's Kári Árnason and England's Harry Kane battle for the ball on the 18th of November, 2020.
Emiliano Martínez
Although his stint with the Millers was a brief one, you will do well to find a Rotherham fan who tells you that Emiliano Martínez wasn’t vital between the sticks across his number of appearances for the club.
Emi Martínez is the dictionary definition of a late bloomer. The ‘keeper began his career with Argentine outfit Independiente, before signing for Arsenal is 2010, aged just 17 years old. However, opportunities were limited for Emi in North London, making 15 appearances in his eight years with the club, going out on loan a total of five times. The stopper signed for Aston Villa in 2020, and has since experience a slightly belated career resurgence.
As mentioned, Martínez went out on loan five times during his stint with the Gunners. One of these loans saw him brought to the AESSEAL New York Stadium by then-manager Steve Evans, where the 'keeper produced a number of stellar performances between the sticks in a Millers shirt.
Martínez’s international career is a unique one, representing Argentina at under-17 and under-20 level from 2009 to 2011. However, it would take him another decade to make his first senior appearance, playing in a 1-1 draw with bordering rivals Chile in a World Cup qualification tie.
Argentina's Emiliano Martínez sings the national anthem alongside Lionel Messi and Christian Romero on the 1st of June, 2022.
Honourable mentions
Dave Watson
A fast centre half, Dave Watson was one of the best England had to offer for the majority of his professional career.
Watson’s career started from humble beginnings, with amateur side Stapleford O.B., before being snapped up by Notts County aged 19. However, it would be the Millers where Watson would first properly establish a name for himself, enjoying the majority of his best years with Rotherham, Sunderland, and Manchester City across the late 1960s and the 1970s.
The Millers struck a deal with Notts County to acquire Watson’s services in 1967, in a deal which saw Rotherham exchange Keith Pring alongside a mere £1,000. Uniquely, Dave was utilised as either a central defender or a centre forward during his time in South Yorkshire.
The swap deal alongside the thousand-pound sum that Rotherham paid for Watson proved to be brilliantly shrewd business as just three years later Sunderland would fork out £100,000 for his signature.
Watson’s international career was an incredibly commendable one, with the Nottinghamshire-born defender earning 65 caps for the Three Lions, captaining the side on three occasions. However, the reason he falls into the ‘honourable mentions’ category is because Watson is England's most capped player to never play at a World Cup, although we're sure this wouldn't be the case, had The Three Lions qualified in 1974 and 1978.
England's Dave Watson and Scotland's Joe Jordan eye up the ball on the 25th of May, 1980.
Howard Webb
Whilst he – of course – never played for the Millers, former Premier League and international referee Howard Webb was actually the last Englishman to appear in a World Cup Final, when he was awarded the honour of being the man in the middle for the 2010 showpiece between Spain and the Netherlands in South Africa.
The club’s Honorary Ambassador has been working in the United States and Canada for the past six years but will return to the English game soon as the Professional Game Match Officials Board’s first chief refereeing officer.
Howard Webb shows Brazil's Luis Gustavo a yellow card at the 2014 Brazil World Cup, on the 28th of June, 2014.