Steve Bruce reacts to what Steve McClaren has done at Rotherham United | OneFootball

Steve McClaren has appointed Alex Bruce as the new Rotherham United manager

It may have taken a little longer than ideally expected, but Rotherham United have their new man in the dugout ahead of their League Two return, as Alex Bruce was appointed as their head coach.

The Millers will begin life back in the fourth tier in August for the first time since the 2012/13 campaign after suffering their fifth relegation in just 10 seasons.

They're doing so in a new direction, though. One of the first off-season arrivals at Rotherham saw former England and Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren appointed as Head of Football, giving him control over the strategy and direction of the football club.

It took over a month for the 65-year-old to find his man, and there were plenty of setbacks, with the likes of Ian Burchnall and Mat Sadler turning down the opportunity to manage the Millers.

But he's settled on Bruce, who is set to manage his first EFL club after spending the last couple of years as Karl Robinson's coach at Salford City, and if he's anything like his dad, a stint in South Yorkshire could kickstart a long and successful managerial career.

Steve Bruce thanks Steve McClaren for giving his son an opportunity at Rotherham United

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Alex is the son of Steve Bruce, the former Manchester United legend and managerial veteran, with over 1,000 games in the dugout for 12 different clubs across 27 years.

He began his career in management at Sheffield United in July 1998, and knows how difficult it can be to achieve that first breakthrough, so he expressed his gratitude on talkSPORT to Rotherham's new head of football, Steve McClaren, for giving him a big opportunity.

"He's had this opportunity, and Steve McClaren has given him an opportunity," he said. "He's got Steve above him, and he's taken Steve Agnew [his assistant] in with him, underneath him, so he's given himself a right chance.

"He's itched at the chance of managing, and he's done all the badges and worked hard over the last six, seven, eight years to get all the qualifications you need.

"And of course, then you need someone to give you the opportunity, and I think it's a great opportunity for him.

"They've had a dismal couple of years, Rotherham, but he'll try his best, and I'm sure he'll give it the enthusiasm and the hard work that it requires."

Before he moved to Salford to work under Karl Robinson, Bruce managed Macclesfield, where he ended his playing career, while they were in the seventh tier of the football pyramid. Upon his departure, the Silkmen were fifth in the Northern Premier League.

League Two will be a completely different kettle of fish, but with two years on the coaching staff of one of the division's better sides in Salford, the 41-year-old will be well-equipped to hit the ground running at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Alex Bruce needs to take this opportunity given by Steve McClaren at Rotherham United

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The prospect of Rotherham's return to League Two isn't being associated with positivity amongst the fanbase. The Millers need a big squad rebuild, and don't have much time to do it.

It's well-known that clubs who get relegated into the fourth tier often find it difficult to stabilise and go again. Cambridge United managed to get things right last season, but the other three former League One sides finished in the bottom half, and Crawley Town won just eight games all year.

Plus, the likes of Carlisle United and Forest Green Rovers have suffered consecutive relegations out of the Football League in recent years, too, so it's not a given that, because Rotherham have a reputation for being higher up the EFL, they will walk League Two.

Alex Bruce will have a tough task on his hands, but that could work in his favour, in a way.

The 41-year-old is known because of his playing career and his last name. At Rotherham, he has an opportunity to showcase that he can be a top manager and compete in the dugouts higher up the pyramid in the future, if he can engineer an immediate return to League One.

He's been given a chance by Steve McClaren, and only time will tell whether he will take it.