Paul Warne interview: Rotherham boss on Roman processions, Ted Lasso and five years at the club | Football News

You would have thought Paul Warne would have seen it all in more than five years in the dugout at Rotherham. But he still dreams of one thing…

A relaxing afternoon in the dugout.

“If I could manage just one game without stress that would be pretty amazing!” Warne tells Sky Sports – after picking up the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month award for February. “We’ve got Gillingham away on the last day of the season, and it would be lovely to be promoted before then.”

It is no surprise he feels that way. In his tenure at the New York Stadium he has overseen two promotions and two relegations. The promotions came through the play-offs and the curtailment of a campaign, the relegations on the penultimate day of one season, and on the final day of the other.

There was a point not too long ago where this campaign looked like it could be far more comfortable, but one win in five has seen them reeled in. Warne is less than surprised. Experience has taught him to always expect more twists and turns.

“My honest gut feeling is there will be more ups and downs and it will go down to the last minute of the last game,” he says. “We have always prepared for that.

“It would be lovely if it was like a nice procession, like we were Roman warriors walking back to our city with people throwing petals at our feet. But we just knew it would never be like that! It will be a real slog, and we’ve got some real tough games against sides fighting near the top.”

Rotherham also have a trip to Wembley looming on Sunday for the Papa John’s Trophy final against Sutton. Warne has been successful at the national stadium previously with the Millers in the 2018 play-offs, and knows what a big occasion it can be for the players the club.

For himself, however, it is another hurdle to be overcome in their ultimate goal.

“I suppose I am looking forward to it,” he says. “It’s not much fun for a manager, but for the players and their families it’s great. I’m really pleased for them.

“Usually if you win a final it’s the end of something, but with this you don’t suddenly have the joy of jumping on a plane to Vegas. I guess it’s like the Carabao Cup for the big hitters. You win or lose it, then it’s back to normal the next day.

“In fairness to the club they’ve been blessed recently, but you might not get to Wembley for another 100 years. It should never be underestimated what it means for the players, the fans and the club. Once it starts it’s a right pain in the a*** for managers, but you never know what can happen.

“The lads know the main focus of the season is promotion. It will be nice when it comes around, but we won’t worry about it until then. They know the importance of every game.

“On the plus side there was free pizza at Hartlepool! It was all pepperoni, but pizza is always a good thing to see in a dressing room after a win. No one can turn their nose up at that.”

Having taking the job on permanently in November 2016, Warne is now the seventh longest-serving manager in the top four leagues in England.

Considering the ups and downs at the club since he took charge, it is impressive he manages to stay motivated enough to keep motivating those around him.

He remains driven by the people he works with, and a desire not to let the club down.

“All the staff and players are people I’ve brought in and I really enjoy coming in every day and working with them,” Warne says. “Some aspects of the job can be difficult, other aspects can be horrendous. I don’t want to sound like Ted Lasso but dropping players for example is never easy.

“But I love sport and I like winning. I get motivated because I want the club to do well. I’ve got so many friends who are Rotherham fans and I don’t want to feel like I’ve let anyone down. I’ve always felt that way in any job I’ve done. I was never the best player, but I always worked as hard as I could.

“I still come in every morning and train in the gym, which helps my mindset, and I just enjoy being here. It’s an enjoyable place to work, and if you win it’s even better. If you lose you’ve got to build them back up.”

The unwavering support of chairman Tony Stewart has also helped. In an industry now where even the threat of relegation nearly guarantees a dismissal, the club have stuck with Warne through thick and thin.

“I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve done okay here,” Warne continues. “Not well enough to get head-hunted, but not badly enough that the chairman wants me out. I’m in that slipstream, but I know that could change at any moment!

“We’ve tried to do everything right. We’ve tried to sign players who are assets for the club and work really hard with them. We’ve tried to increase our community work and do everything else right.

“I’ve got a really good relationship with the chairman and I think he appreciates everything we do. Even though I’ve taken the team down twice. I know that at so many other clubs I’d have lost my job on that alone.

“But he understands the difficulties we face. He’s the one who convinced me to do it. I didn’t want to, I turned the job down originally. But he thought I had the strength of character, and he’s had faith in me over five years. It’s why I’ve stayed at this club for so long.

“I spoke to a few managers who always ask me how the hell I manage to pick myself up again and go for the following year [after a relegation]. It would have been different if we had been a real shambles and got beaten every week, but both times we went down we were so competitive in games and the lads gave me everything they could.

“I was disappointed, but never depressed. I always felt up for another push. Last year was the first time I felt like I needed a week away from football. I felt absolutely drained. But after a little bit of time I wanted to have another go.

“You judge success by finishing as high up the league as we can, but I think we did that in the circumstances we were in.”

As he reflects on the last five years, the question is posed of where he sees himself in five years. Unsurprisingly, the manager who never wanted to be a manager has no long-term goals set in stone.

“I don’t really have a plan,” Warne says. “I sort of live by the seam of my pants. I’d like to still be in football and working at a club that appreciates what I’m trying to do, and I hope to have the respect of everyone at the club.

“But the truth is I just hope I’m enjoying my life. I’ve been really fortunate to be in the game for as long as I have, considering I didn’t turn professional until I was 23. If I’m fortunate enough to get another five years I’d be really pleased.”

In the shorter term, he just dreams of taking Rotherham up again and then trying to keep them in the Championship. Staying up in the second tier is something the club have only managed to do once in nearly 40 years, but Warne hopes the experiences of the last few years will give them a fighting chance.

If they get there first, of course.

“It is a massive jump and it’s getting bigger. It’s a very difficult league for clubs our size to compete in, but we have real belief here that we might have learned a bit from the last two times that will give us a better opportunity next time.

“Of course we might be horrendous and we might not go up. But if we did I’d like to think we’d recruit more Championship experience. It is more imperative now that our recruitment is spot on. You just have to get as much in as you can to improve. You need that mix, with the youth and the enthusiasm as well.

“In times of trouble you rely on those experienced players, and I’m optimistic we can have a good summer and recruit the players that could really help us.

“That’s what helps me sleep at night.”