Everyone at Rotherham United has been deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former player, Tony Brien, aged 54.
Tony, a central defender, had a fairly brief career with the Millers making a total of 54 appearances across two seasons in the mid-1990s.
He joined in October 1993 from Chesterfield in a player-exchange deal that saw defender Nicky Law move to the Spireites. They had paid Leicester City £90,000 for Tony in 1988 and he made just over 200 appearances for Chesterfield.
He made 29 appearances in the 1993/94 season but lost his place for the final ten games to enable Ian Breckin, then a promising 18-year-old, to get his chance which he was to grab ahead of an excellent career - Ian being the nephew of John.
They were paired together in centre defence for the first half of the next season, in what is now League One, but Tony was sidelined in mid-December when Mark Monington was brought in and only played twice more that season before being released in the Spring of 1995.
He then played at West Brom and Hull but a hip problem that had affected him in his final playing years forced him to retire in January 1998 at the age of 28.
The thoughts of everyone at Rotherham United are with all of Tony’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
Once a Miller, Always a Miller.