Rotherham United

Josh Ayres put pen-to-paper on his first professional deal in the early stages of September 2023, becoming the third player from the Academy in the last two seasons to do so.

The 17-year-old has been rewarded with a one-year senior deal with Matt Taylor’s side despite still being ‘contracted’ under a Scholarship agreement which is set to run until the summer of 2024 - with the Millers having the option to extend his newly-agreed professional deal by a further year until 2026.

The forward has been involved with Matt Taylor’s first team on a number of occasions this season, most notably being named among the substitutes for the Millers’ opening four games of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Academy attacker caught the eye in the curtain-raising fixture against training ground hosts Parkgate FC, before further appearances followed against Mansfield Town and Lincoln City and newly-promoted Premier League outfit Sheffield United.