Portsmouth’s Sean Raggett outlines which Rotherham United player should be playing in the Championship | OneFootball

Portsmouth centre-back Sean Raggett has admitted his surprise that Rotherham United forward Michael Smith is not plying his trade in the Championship as he spoke to The News, with the duo set to face-off tomorrow afternoon.

Smith played an important role in the Millers’ promotion back to the Championship during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring nine goals and recording three assists in 34 displays as they returned to the second tier at the first time of asking.

He was even more impressive last term, adapting well to the demands of the second tier of English football and getting into double figures with ten league goals.

This took Paul Warne’s side within two points of Championship survival, but they were unable to win any of their last seven league matches of the campaign and that proved to be detrimental as they failed to stay afloat in the division.

With this, there was expected to be a considerable amount of interest in the forward’s services during the previous transfer window, although manager Warne placed a hefty £10m valuation above his head.

Championship sides Bristol City, Cardiff City and Middlesbrough were all linked with him in the summer, but a move failed to materialise and he remained in South Yorkshire, already scoring an impressive seven goals in 11 appearances so far on his return to League One.

Portsmouth defender Sean Raggett, who is likely to be in a battle with the 29-year-old when Pompey and the Millers clash tomorrow afternoon, is shocked he didn’t remain in the Championship beyond the end of last season, saying to The News: “He’s a very good player – very good player.

“I don’t know too much about his time here, but I know he’s a very tough player to go up against.

“Us players at the back are going to have to to be right on our games to stop him, because he’s had a good start to the season.

“He’s real top-class centre-forward in this league.

“I’m not surprised at all to hear talk about Championship clubs wanting him.

“In fact, I think I’m more surprised he’s not already in the Championship.

“I was there two or three years ago and I thought he was going to get a move to a Championship club back then.

“He’s a very strong player we will have to watch carefully.”

Michael Smith is certainly a man of high quality – and you have to feel it was only the nature of the summer market and the financial effects of Covid-19 that prevented him from making the move up to the Championship.

Warne may have placed a £10m price tag on the forward, but a tempting offer much lower than that would probably have been accepted and would be an especially good signing for Bristol City right now.

Middlesbrough recruited Andraz Sporar along with Uche Ikpeazu and Cardiff managed to retain Kieffer Moore, but you almost feel Bristol City need a main goalscorer.

Smith would have only improved on his ten goals from last term with that season on Championship football under his belt – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go in January if interested clubs have the finances available to make a move happen.

The Millers will probably be clinging on to him by their fingernails though if they remain in contention for promotion by the time the winter window comes around, so it will be interesting to see what happens.