Rotherham United urged to forget controversy and consider signing exiting Sheffield Wednesday player | OneFootball

FLW's Rotherham United fan pundit has identified departing Sheffield Wednesday star Michael Ihiekwe for a potential Millers reunion this summer.

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…

Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed their retained list after the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, with veteran defender Michael Ihiekwe among a number of players who will be departing Hillsborough this summer.

Stuart Armstrong, Ben Hamer, Ryo Hatsuse, Ihiekwe, Marvin Johnson, Pol Valentin and Mallik Wilks have all been confirmed as leaving the Owls following the expiration of their respective contracts.

Ihiekwe played a squad role for Wednesday for most of this past season, but was handed an uptick in starting opportunities towards the end of the campaign.

It's been reported by The Star that the 32-year-old is attracting interest from a host of League One clubs following his release from Sheffield Wednesday.

"Open arms" - Rotherham United told to consider signing of Michael Ihiekwe after Sheffield Wednesday exit

We asked our Rotherham United fan pundit, Tom Eyre: 'Michael Ihiekwe has left Sheffield Wednesday and is attracting interest from League One clubs, as per reports. Would you welcome him back at Rotherham if the opportunity was there, or do Rotherham have better centre-back options than him?'

Eyre said: "I think from a personal perspective I would welcome Ihiekwe back.

"I think he is that bullish, physical centre-half that we've been missing, clearly a fit centre-half, and someone with League One pedigree and knows the club.

"So, I would welcome him back with open arms, but I can't say the same for other fans of the club. He left under dubious circumstances for Sheffield Wednesday, and many at the club, I don't think, can see past that.

"So, I would love him back, I think. But, I can see why he wouldn't choose to come back, and I can also see how it could be a problem if he was to come back.

"It doesn't mean we shouldn't be examining the possibility of Ihiekwe returning to Rotherham."

Ihiekwe could be highly shrewd signing for Rotherham - Millers fans may not have forgiven him for Owls move

Having joined the Millers in the summer of 2017, Ihiekwe would make an instant impact at the AESSEAL New York Stadium, as his 33 League One appearances ensured he'd play his part in helping the club win promotion to the Championship that year.

Over the next four seasons, the centre-back would develop into an integral member of the Millers' starting XI, once again playing a vital role in aiding the club's promotion to the Championship once again in the 2019/20 campaign.

However, come the summer of 2022, and after a long contract saga, Ihiekwe decided to put pen to paper on a contract with local rivals Sheffield Wednesday, leaving Rotherham on a free transfer.

As such, Ihiekwe's reputation with many Millers fans took a drastic, and for some, a fatal hit.

Therefore, re-signing the defender would be a highly complex decision for Rotherham's hierarchy to make. On the one hand, he's proven himself to be a strong performer at both Championship and League One level, and could provide a huge help to a mediocre Millers defence from last season.

On the flip side, many Rotherham fans still haven't, and perhaps will never forgive him for his Sheffield Wednesday move, and at the very least, they won't forget. As such, his signing could cause friction and divide among the fanbase, something that no club wants before a ball has even been kicked ahead of the new campaign.