Last updated on .From the section Football

Steve Evans left Crawley Town to join Rotherham United in April 2012

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans has left the Championship club after more than three years with the Millers.

The 52-year-old leaves with Rotherham 20th in the Championship, although they have won their last two games.

Assistant manager Paul Raynor has also departed, with first-team coach Eric Black placed in temporary charge.

A club statement on the Rotherham website external-link said that chairman Tony Stewart and Evans "wished to head in a different direction."

Evans joined the then-League Two Millers in April 2012 after five years with Crawley Town, having led the Red Devils into the Football League for the first time in the club's history.

Rotherham's defensive woes Rotherham have the second worst defensive record in the Championship, having conceded 17 goals in eight games.

Rotherham gained successive promotions in Evans's first two seasons in charge, but struggled in the Championship last season, finishing one place above the relegation zone.

Speaking after United moved off the bottom of the table with a 2-0 win over Birmingham on Saturday, Evans said there was "fantastic chemistry" at the club between the chairman, manager and players.

"There was never any pressure on the squad in the relegation zone," he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Let the knockers continue. We're just trying to prove the doubters wrong like we have done for three-and-a-half years."

Interim manager Black was appointed first team coach in July, having previously had managerial spells at Coventry City and Motherwell.