Rotherham United: Richie Towell on the prospect of staying with the Millers

The Brighton and Hove Albison midfielder has excelled for the play-off-chasing Millers during his season-long stay in League One.

And the 26-year-old, who should be available for Saturday’s home clash with Fleetwood Town after recovering from a hamstring injury, revealed he’d be happy to stay at AESSEAL New York Stadium if Rotherham climb into the second tier.

“Every player wants to play at the highest level they can and I’m no different,” he said. “If Rotherham are in the Championship, it would be brilliant to come back here and play.

“I’ve really loved my time here. It’s a great group of lads, a great management team. There’s a good feeling around the club. Obviously, I wasn’t here last season when the club went through a really tough period (Championship relegation), but I think we’ve turned that around this year.”

Towell, who has a deal with the Seagulls until the summer of 2019, was speaking late last month, before an away defeat at Southend United, a home draw with Peterborough United and a loss at Charlton Athletic.

He missed Easter Monday’s 3-1 reverse at the Valley after limping off in the dying stages of the 1-1 Good Friday stalemate with Posh.

With six games remaining, the fourth-placed Millers are five points clear of the chasing pack but have taken only four points from their last half a dozen outings.

As ready as he is to stay in South Yorkshire, Towell accepts his parent club will have the final say.

“I’d be open to a deal here, of course I would,” he said. “It’s not down to me. I just get told what I’m doing. If Brighton tell me I’ve got to back and play for them, I’ll be buzzing and hopefully they’ll still be in the Premier League.

“I still have time left there. They control my future. I just do what they tell me.”

The central midfielder has made only only league appearance for the Seagulls - ironically, against Rotherham - since his June 2016 move from Irish side Dundalk.

Meanwhile, AESSEAL have extended their stadium-naming-rights agreement with the Millers for the next five years.

AESSEAL have been in business in Rotherham since 1984 and now have 1,749 employees operating out of 77 locations in 37 countries.

Millers chairman Tony Stewart said: “We’re very grateful that such a large and respected company are again on board with us.”

Chris Rea, group managing director and founder of AESSEAL, said: “We have seen first hand how the club is run by Tony Stewart and the senior management team.

“The stadium is one of the finest in the region and it is something that the people of Rotherham can be really proud of. AESSEAL are certainly proud to have our name on one of the most distinctive and iconic venues in the town.”

Stewart added: “I am delighted to continue our association with Chris, who is someone I have known for many years and someone who has the similar drive, passion and ambition that we have at Rotherham United.”

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