Right-back Josh Emmanuel’s season-long loan to League One Rotherham United has been confirmed. A fortnight ago TWTD revealed that the Millers were keen to sign Emmanuel and Kieffer Moore on loan, the former Forest Green Rovers striker’s switch having been confirmed on Monday.
Emmanuel is now expected to join up with Moore and the rest of the Rotherham squad in Austria.
"He’s someone I spoke to Mick [McCarthy] about at the end of last season,” Millers boss Paul Warne told the Sheffield Star.
"I really like him. He’s the type that I want. He’s powerful and athletic. He’s at the right age. I’ve spoken to the player numerous times. He wants to come.”
Speaking on Saturday, Town manager McCarthy said Emmanuel and Moore's spells at the New York Stadium are in order to give them first-team football, which they wouldn’t get at Town.
"They both need to play games and I don’t want Josh here as a substitute coming on and playing a bit part," the Blues boss said. "He needs to go and play to improve, as does Kieffer.
"Neither of them will start in front of Jordan Spence or whoever else is starting up front. I think it’s really important that they get football.
"You benefit from getting week in, week out football. I remember it myself when you start and you play. Thankfully I got in the team and I was in every week and it just improves you every week.”
He added: "[Josh is] going until the January window and we’ll see how he does. Hopefully he’s ripping it up and we want to have him back. The only way he’s going to get better is by playing.
"They’re season-long loans but there’s a break clause in them. You’ve got to put that in because if you don’t then they get stuck there if they’re not playing or if they’re ripping it up and I want them back.
"Why would I even think about not having something to bring them back. But I’ll only bring them back if I want to play them.”
Academy product Emmanuel, 19, has made 19 starts and five sub appearances for the Blues without scoring.
The one-time West Ham schoolboy, who is contracted to Town until the summer of 2019 with the club having an option for a further season, spent a brief spell on loan at Crawley during 2015/16 making one start and playing one game from the bench.