Steve Evans has admitted that former Rotherham United striker Michael Smith won’t be returning to the New York Stadium.
Smith, 32, left Rotherham United at the end of his contract in July 2022. He made the short move to South Yorkshire rivals, Sheffield Wednesday.
Smith played a key role in the Owls’ promotion to the Championship in the 2022/23 season, scoring 16 League One goals.
During his time at Rotherham United, he was a favourite amongst most fans. In 210 games for the Millers, he scored 60 goals and won the club’s Player of the Season award in the 2021/22 season.
What did Evans say about Smith?
Speaking to the Rotherham Advertiser, Evans was asked about the possibility of Smith returning. He told the outlet:
“I love ‘Smudge’. He was brilliant for Rotherham United, a handful against my teams when he played against them.
“But we’ve had the best League One signing of the whole transfer window in Jonson [Clarke-Harris].”
“Would I love Smudge in the squad? Yeah. But we’ve a good balance. We’ve got Clarke-Harris, we’ve got Jordan Hugill, we’ve got Sam Nombe, we’ve got Asapa Osong and Joe Hungbo can play up there – he’s got great feet and is a very talented boy.
“It’s nothing to do with finances.
“We’ve never picked up the phone to Michael.”
Have Rotherham United made the right choice going for Clarke-Harris over Smith?
Evans in his interview alluded to his decision to pursue Jonson Clarke-Harris once the striker was released by Peterborough. It was a transfer he described as one of the best in League One.
Both Clarke-Harris and Smith have played their fair share of League One football and offer similar options as strong target men.
In 257 League One games, Smith has 75 goals and 29 assists. Smith has a goal every 254 minutes in the league.
In comparison, Clarke-Harris has played 279 games, scoring 107 and assisting 15 times. He’s got a goal every 175 minutes in League One, putting him far ahead of Smith.
Both players are known for their aggressive style of play. Smith has nine more yellow cards than Clarke-Harris, with the pair having 30 and 21 respectively.
The statistics suggest that Evans made the right choice going for Clarke-Harris, and he’ll be hoping he helps fire Rotherham United back to the Championship.
Will Smith be leaving Sheffield Wednesday this summer? — opinion
There has been interest in the Sheffield Wednesday striker after he struggled to make an impact last season. Smith scored four goals in 31 Championship as he helped them stay up on the final day.
He could be a useful member of Danny Rohl’s squad this season because he offers a different option going forward.
Rohl will play pressing football, but if he needs to go more direct, having Smith available allows him to do that.
They could cash in on Smith, but no one appears to be interested in starting transfer negotiations with the Owls.