How Grimsby Town boss David Artell actually feels about the Rotherham United job | OneFootball

Grimsby Town manager David Artell is aiming higher than Rotherham United.

Rotherham United are still seeking a permanent successor to Matt Hamshaw, following his departure from the club back in March.

Lee Clark was appointed as Millers interim boss until the end of the season, giving the board time to find the right man to take the club forward from next term and beyond.

Rotherham's relegation to League Two was confirmed last Tuesday after they fell to a 3-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic. This sees them drop into the fourth tier for the first time since 2013.

Despite this, Clark's side bounced back from the gut punch of relegation to earn themselves 2-0 victory at Leyton Orient on Saturday, as they look to end the season in the best possible stead.

Now the Millers know for certain what division they'll be playing in next term, their search for a new permanent manager can ramp up, and it seems they've already been eyeing up a few potential targets.

How David Artell feels about leaving Grimsby Town for Rotherham United

One man that is reportedly on the radar of Rotherham is Grimsby Town manager David Artell. The 45-year-old was born in the Yorkshire town, and made 37 senior appearances for the club between 1998 and 2003.

Artell has been plying his trade in Cleethorpes since 2023 following a strong stint with Crewe Alexandra. He's been a wholesale success at Blundell Park, beating Manchester United and getting his side on the cusp of the play-off places with three games to go.

This has obviously seen interest arise from elsewhere, particularly from Rotherham, who would be keen to reunite with their former centre-back ahead of their return to the fourth tier of English football.

However, according to reports by journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page on Sunday morning, the hope for a reunion between Artell and his hometown club is a one-sided affair, with the former 'not keen' on a return to South Yorkshire.

Nixon stated that the Mariners boss is willing to listen to offers should the right one come along, but is aiming higher than League Two, with a 'big' League One club or Championship gig set in his sights.

This can almost certainly rule out any possible return to Rotherham for Artell, who is ready to test himself at a higher level, according to the report.

Rotherham won't be spoiled for choice in manager search

It's been a firmly miserable season for everyone connected with the South Yorkshire side. Relegation seemed to be on the cards right from the start of the campaign, so it felt like the inevitable had finally happened when the Millers were confirmed to be down on Tuesday.

The consensus from supporters was that Hamshaw was given too long in charge, and by the time the board opted to make a change, the damage had already been done, hence the appointment of an interim until the end of the season.

Regardless of what's happened this season, Rotherham will be keen to find the right successor to Hamshaw in their bid to bounce straight back up to League One, but they seemingly won't be spoiled for choice.

With League Two managers such as Artell not keen, and compensation likely proving an issue, quality options could be sparse in their quest to find their next permanent boss.