Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Grant Ward joins Rotherham United on six-month loan deal

Tottenham Hotspur have allowed Grant Ward to join Rotherham United on a six-month loan deal, with the midfielder seemingly opting for the Millers ahead of several other Championship suitors.

Ward, 20, has yet to make a senior competitive appearance for his parent club and will remain at the New York Stadium until January 2016, having initially caught the eye during 11 outings for League One outfit Coventry City during the latter stages of last season.

The player's only previous loan spell came with the Chicago Fire in 2014. He scored two goals in 27 Major League Soccer appearances during his time in the United States, before eventually forcing his way into the Tottenham first team set up for two post-season tour fixtures in May.

Ward, who previously expressed an interest in returning to Coventry, replaced Danny Rose after 46 minutes during the victory over a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur before being handed a further 30 minute cameo in the 1-0 win over A-League runners-up Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium.

Rotherham manager Steve Evans was excited to have confirmed the club's eighth addition of another busy summer in South Yorkshire, expressing satisfaction with the fact that they had beaten off interest in this particular deal from more than one second tier rival.

"Everyone inside the football club, none more so than the players, will be delighted to hear the news that we have now completed the signing of Grant Ward from Tottenham Hotspur," he told their official website.

"First and foremost I must thank Mauricio Pochettino and Paul Mitchell at Spurs for approving the loan. There has been significant competition for the lad's signature, but we took the opportunity to have him with us for a few days, and I was delighted when he informed me this morning that he has chosen us versus several Championship options.

"Grant has a big career in front of him and he now has the opportunity to make steps up the ladder with a successful loan spell with the Millers."

Ward tweeted: "Happy to have signed with @OfficialRUFC on loan, Can't wait for the season to start, looking forward to the challenges ahead ⚽️ #rufc."

Rotherham finished 21st last term in what was their first campaign back in the Championship in almost a decade, five points ahead of relegated Millwall. Safety was assured by virtue of a 3-1 win over Reading on 28 April in their penultimate league fixture and they closed the year with a stalemate against local rivals Leeds.

Alongside Ward, Evans has completed deals to sign former Nottingham Forest duo Greg Halford and Danny Collins, Argentine forward Emmanuel Ledesma, full-back Aidy White, Lewis Buxton and Joe Mattock, as well as ex-Manchester United defender Tom Thorpe.

Ward is the fourth midfielder to leave Tottenham in recent weeks, with Etienne Capoue sold to Watford, Lewis Holtby completing a permanent move to Hamburg and Brazilian international Paulinho leaving for Guangzhou Evergrande.