John Mullin became the first high profile departure from Turf Moor this season, signing for Rotherham United on Thursday night, writes MATT HORN.

And Millers boss Ronnie Moore admitted: "I did have a word with our Ian about him before the deal was done."

Moore's son Ian has been a team-mate of Mullin's for the past year and he had little hesitation in telling his dad to back his judgement.

"John Mullin is just the type of player we have been crying out for this season," confessed Moore senior. "Our midfield has been one-paced but he can get forward and support the attack from anywhere in midfield.

"His forte is breaking from midfield, you just don't want to have to ask him to do much at the other end. To be honest, if he could defend as well you would be looking at a £3million player."

The one stumbling block that threatened to see the move called off came when Burnley tried to insert a clause that would have stopped Mullin facing his old team in the Boxing Day clash at Millmoor and Moore said: "If they had insisted on that I would have called it off.

"If the game was on Saturday I would not have minded but you can't decide who plays against you months after a transfer.

"What if the player who replaced him scored the winner and did well, John would suddenly be out of the team."

Moore is determined to give him a long run in the side and said: "What he needs to do is get established in a team. He is 26 and should have more than 200 games behind him. He has signed for us and I have guaranteed, as much as I can, that he will be a first team regular.

"I remember he killed us once when we played Sunderland in a cup tie and I have kept an eye on him ever since."

"I first approached Stan (Ternent) about him two or three weeks ago and our chairman came up with the £150,000 Burnley wanted."

"I think it came as a bit of a shock to John that they would let him go for that. I think he thought he was still part of the plans at Burnley."

Having had no chance to meet his new team mates Mullin was left in a role that became all too familiar to him at Turf Moor when the Millers visited Grimsby Town - he was on the bench.

But his new manager joked: "I told him not to worry, we have cushions on our benches!"