Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient rivals make head-turning managerial appointment

Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient will be hoping to rival Rotherham United for promotion from League One next season and the newly relegated Championship outfit will have a familiar face at the helm.

The Millers have endured a torrid campaign in the second tier and have already been doomed to relegation. The club will return to League One after two seasons away having mustered just 23 points from 43 outings this term.

Having achieved promotion from League One in 2018, 2020 and 2022, the Yorkshire outfit will no doubt be one of the contenders to clamber back out of the third division next season. The Addicks will hope to rival them as one of the league's in-form teams since Nathan Jones' arrival at the club while Leyton Orient will hope to find the legs for a play-off push that didn't quite come to fruition this term.

It's now been confirmed that Rotherham United will be managed by familiar face Steve Evans next season. The 61-year-old has quit Stevenage 'effective immediately' having taken the side from League Two to the top half of League One in just over two years.

Stevenage Chairman Phil Wallace said: “It’s not what we wanted, but compensation clauses are in place for a reason and these things happen in football.

“The approach was unexpected but handled in the right manner by both clubs and we told Steve that, after all he’d done for our Club, we would not stand in his way if the compensation terms were met and he wanted to leave.

“We are a totally different club from two years ago and we will start the recruitment process immediately for next season to give us the best chance of continuing to improve on and off the pitch. Steve will always be welcome at The Lamex as far as I’m concerned and it’s been a privilege to work with him for the last two years”.

Evans returns to Rotherham, having previously managed the club between 2012 and 2015. Rotherham United Chairman Tony Stewart said: “On behalf of everyone at Rotherham United, I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Steve Evans and Paul Raynor back to the football club.

“Leam and Rob’s departure was not something we took lightly, but following extensive conversations at Board level, it was unanimously agreed that a change of direction was needed to give us the best possible chance of bouncing back to the Sky Bet Championship at the first time of asking."

Evans managed his Stevenage side against Charlton and Leyton Orient this term, drawing both matches against the Addicks and beating the O's at home in September before Richie Wellens' men got revenge in the return fixture last month with a 1-0 win.