STAR PERFORMER: Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson is one of the best in the Championship (Photo: Simon Hulme)
There might be a few Millers fans wishing they could keep Johansson’s consistent brilliance secret because they know once their star names start to get a reputation, they usually lose them to bigger, richer clubs.
The reassurance of having the man affectionately known as “the Viking” between the sticks will only add to their confidence for Sunday’s South Yorkshire derby at Sheffield Wednesday, where the visitors could feature new signing Daniel Ayala.
But there are few secrets in modern football. Clips of Johansson’s vital saves in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Coventry City and indeed all his Rotherham appearances are widely available on the internet. The 25-year-old also became a full Swedish international this month when he made his debut against Moldova.
Leeds United were one of the clubs linked to him in the summer and although Taylor will be relieved they turned elsewhere, he knows selling players and reinvesting well is part of his job.
“He’s been our stand-out player this season,” said Taylor of the Millers’ 2022-23 player of the year. “No one deserved a clean sheet more than him on Tuesday, not just on that performance but what he has done in the first 10 or 11 games.
“He deserves more recognition than he gets, I hope that will come more when he gets more international recognition, but he’s just been the mainstay of this team, certainly.
“Nothing negative can come out of him getting recognition and interest. He is a contracted player (until 2025), he is now an international and his performances have been so, so consistent.
“He is a top goalkeeper at this level and potentially above and other leagues all over Europe so I don’t care about bigging him up because he can keep backing it up. He is an absolute superstar.
“If people start taking notice it has been a long time coming but he certainly deserves it.
“Whatever happens in the future with Viktor, he is playing well with us first and foremost and then see what happens.
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“We are in a secure position as a football club in terms of his contract but he can’t keep on being outstanding at this level for such a long period and no one else take notice.”
The Millers were given special Football League dispensation to add former Hull City and Middlesbrough centre-back Ayala to a 25-man squad decimated by injury but they must be careful in what they ask of him.
“To put him on the pitch would be not a risk but we’ll have to be sensible moving forward let alone on Sunday, especially with such a quick turnaround of games,” said Taylor.
