Portsmouth title winner emphatically puts season of pain behind him after criticised Fratton exit

The League One title winner thumped in a trademark header to give the Millers a 2-1 win against his former side Lincoln City last night.

It was a landmark moment for the former News Pompey Player of the Season, who has endured a campaign of pain to date since being released in the summer.

The decision not to give the long-serving figure a new deal surprised many and was criticised for some supporters, with Raggett playing such a central role in last term’s success.

Rotherham quickly swooped to take the former to Yorkshire along with Joe Rafferty, with many anticipating a strong campaign for Steve Evans’ side.

It’s been anything but the case at the New York Stadium, however, with Rotherham labouring and picking up just one win from their first eight games.

That run happened with Raggett sidelined, after picking up a knee injury after appearing in the first two games of the season.

The 30-year-old managed one appearance before injuring his other knee in training, meaning he’s missed 16 games so far this term.

It’s a curious run for a player who proved to be so robust in his five years at Fratton Park, but Raggett has been back for the past three games - and made his mark in emphatic style against Lincoln with his 77th-minute winner.

The former Norwich man celebrated the goal against his old club, with Rotherham hopeful the result will prove a turning point after so many injury issues and having now Raggett’s forceful play back in the equation.

Rotherham assistant manager, Paul Raynor, told the club’s YouTube channel: ‘He’s a man-mountain.

‘We’ve been missing massive players all season.

‘We’ve not been able to put that team on the pitch. Mallik (Wilks) has been out, Jonson ‘Clarke-Harris, Liam Kelly and Sean Raggett have been out. It’s difficult, they are big players.

‘Sean Raggett, Jonson Clarke-Harris and Liam Kelly haven’t played a minute together for Rotherham United.

‘When we signed those players in the summer they were massive parts of what we wanted to do, they were the spine of the team.

‘They’ve not played a minute together and that says a lot. When those big players are missing it will weaken you.

‘Now we’ve got everyone fit, let’s hope it’s the start of climbing the table. We needed that - everybody needed that.’