Rotherham chairman impressed by applicants

Rotherham chairman Tony Stewart has revealed some "big names" have applied for the vacant managerial position.

The Millers are looking for a third manager in eight months after Neil Warnock opted against extending his short-term deal and applications have been mounting on Stewart's desk.

Former Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer and former Sheffield Wednesday boss Stuart Gray are thought to be strong candidates, though Stewart is impressed with the calibre of applicants so far.

"Now that we've had two seasons in the Championship we're seeing the calibre of managers applying coming from a higher level. It's quite flattering, there are some big names in there," he told Press Association Sport.

"We've had a good response from some high-level managers."

Despite having no manager in situ, the club are preparing to announce their retained list and Stewart said the players who played their part in the miraculous escape from Sky Bet Championship relegation last season will get the chance to continue their career at New York Stadium.

"We have players who can take us to the next level in the Championship, we've proved that during the run-in," he added. "We're not going to be cocky about it but will head into next season with confidence.

"The players have proved under Neil that they are competent enough to compete at this level.

"Of all the top teams in the division, Burnley are the only one we haven't taken points from this season. That tells you something.

"Our players showed how good they can be with the right man leading them. The ones who performed under Neil will be retained. Then it's a case of tweaking the squad, with probably four or five new players coming in."