Joe Newell 'really excited' to join Hibs after rejecting new Rotherham contract
- Published
Joe Newell spent four years with Rotherham United
Joe Newell chose to join Hibernian after rejecting a new Rotherham United contract having been "really excited" by head coach Paul Heckingbottom.
The 26-year-old midfielder has been with the Millers since 2015 but leaves after relegation to League One to sign a two-year contract at Easter Road.
"I'd obviously heard about the city and how big the club is," Newell said.
"Then I spoke to the manager and that was probably the most impressive thing to be honest."
Newell had other options to remain in his homeland but was impressed by what compatriot Heckingbottom had to say when he came up for talks in May.
"It was just the way he highlighted how he wants us to play, how he sees his team and the club progressing, his ambitions and how I fit into that," the midfielder told Hibs' website.
"It got me straight away. It was really exciting. It's a big decision for me to come up here and leave home, but I'm really happy."
Left-sided Newell, who began his career with Peterborough United, played 32 times, 19 of them starts for Rotherham this season.
Heckingbottom was equally "excited" to add his third signing of the summer after midfielder Scott Allan's switch from Celtic and defender Adam Jackson's arrival from Barnsley.
"He's coming in having played a lot of games at a good level in the English Championship last season and is a threat either out wide or inside," he said.
"Joe can carry the ball up the park and I think he'll link up well with our other attacking players."
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