"Would absolutely take back" - Rotherham United: Dan Barlaser and Kieffer Moore named in Millers debate | OneFootball

Dan Barlaser was key to the Millers' performances during his time at the club, helping United to two promotions

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

It is fair to say that Rotherham United’s return to League One has not gone quite the way many would have expected it so far this season.

The Millers have just one victory from their opening five matches of the campaign, with a 2-1 victory over ten man Huddersfield Town the only time they have emerged from a match with three points as it stands.

With three league goals to their name so far, a lack of creativity and instant in the final third has cost the Yorkshire side in the early throes of the campaign, as Steve Evans fails to find the magic formula from the last time he held the United post.

With that in mind, we spoke to Football League World’s resident Millers fan pundit Tom Eyre about which former star he would love to see back among the starting eleven at the New York Stadium for the year ahead.

Dan Barlaser proves his quality during Rotherham United stint

Around the turn of the decade, Dan Barlaser was a prominent feature in the Rotherham side, with his all-round game in the midfield proving to be the beating heart for the Yorkshire outfit.

Whether it was carving open a defence with a perfectly weighted pass, keeping possession ticking over by doing the basics incredibly well, or regaining the ball for his side to thwart the opposition, the former Newcastle United man could seemingly do it all.

It was his magic in the middle that helped to spearhead promotion charges from the third tier in the 19/20 and 21/22 campaigns, as the Millers made their routine resurgence back up from League One, before struggling upon their return to the Championship.

Despite those around him failing to get to grips with their new surroundings, it was clear that Barlaser looked at home in the second tier, and his talents weren’t unnoticed by those around him, with Middlesbrough making him theirs in the January of 2023.

Since then, the midfielder has become a dependable figure for Michael Carrick at The Riverside, leaving Eyre and his fellow Rotherham fans looking on with envy.

The Millers supporter said: “One player I would love to have back - who I can see fitting in - would be Dan Barlaser.

“He is a magnificent footballer, who keeps the tempo well, his defensive work is outstanding, and he runs games at times.

“He is someone I would absolutely take back in a heartbeat.”

Wales international would thrive in Steve Evans’ Rotherham United side

Boro won’t be the only Championship promotion Rotherham will be looking at longingly this season, with Sheffield United also having a player from their past that shone brightly during a spell in Yorkshire.

13 goals in 22 league appearances in the 2017/18 season saw Kieffer Moore’s stock rise massively among Football League circles, with the frontman thriving in a side that utilised his physical abilities in the final third.

Since then, the Welshman has carved out a career for himself in the top two tiers, with his seven goals helping Ipswich Town get over the line to earn promotion in the second-half of last season.

With Evans favouring a more direct approach, Moore would be in dreamland with the aerial bombardment upon the opposition penalty area, and Eyre believes he would thrive at the New York Stadium in the current day.

"Having said that, I think someone who would fit the system a lot better is Kieffer Moore.

“He used to play for us on loan, and I would love to take him back.

“He is an out and out goalscorer; someone that I believe that we need, I don’t think Clarke-Harris is quite up to it yet, so I would go for Kieffer Moore.”