Rotherham United part company with manager Steve Evans

The Championship has experienced its second managerial departure of the season just hours after the first, with Rotherham United confirming that Steve Evans has left the club.

A club statement on the Rotherham website said that chairman Tony Stewart and Evans “wished to head in a different direction”.

Evans took charge of the club in April 2012 with the club in League Two and managed to guide them to successive promotions in his first two seasons.

The Millers also added: ‘The meeting was at all times positive, constructive and straightforward.

First-team coach Eric Black has been placed in temporary charge while the club look for a new full-time manager.

The Championship outfit have suggested that the split was mutual, with both parties wishing to head in “different directions”.

STEVE EVANS has left Rotherham United along with assistant Paul Raynor.

“It has all come as a surprise but Rotherham United must move forward and the search for a new first team manager will begin immediately”.

‘Rotherham United Football Club will always welcome Steve and Paul whether as an opposition management team or as supporters of our fantastic football club’.

Evans leaves Rotherham on the back of an impressive 2-0 win at Birmingham, which moved them up to 20th in the table.

Eric Black will take over the Millers on a caretaker basis until a permanent replacement has been found for the South Yorkshire club.

However, there was acknowledgement of the valuable work which Evans had put in during his time with Rotherham, the statement noting that it had been “simply an incredible journey” during the pair’s reign at the New York Stadium.