After helping the Millers to a notable League One promotion and Papa John’s Trophy double towards the end of previous campaign – a season when he found the net on ten occasions – the Swinton lad readily accepts that he was not prepared for what came next.
Now with Huddersfield Town, the midfielder, who joined the Terriers in late August for a seven-figure fee, now looks back on that time as a learning curve and a reminder that things can soon change in football.
Wiles was the subject of several big-money bids from Burnle in the summer of 2022, which were rejected by Rotherham and candidly admits that things affected him for a time last year.
To compound matters, a testing season from a personal perspective would take another significant turn for the worse when he suffered a serious ankle injury in the Millers’ Boxing Day fixture against Stoke City which required surgery and ruled him out until mid-April.
The fates have decreed that Wiles is now stepping out in the blue and white of Huddersfield and not the claret and blue of Burnley in the Premier League.
Water has gone under the bridge in the past year or so and the 24-year-old is admirably not thinking about what might have been.
He remains philosophical and that’s how footballers must be, in the final analysis. Focus on what they can control.
Wiles told The Yorkshire Post: “Don’t get me wrong, I think anyone in that situation would find it difficult.
“My young age could have affected it and I think I should have handled it a little bit better in terms of performances.
“But sometimes, things just play on your mind a lot and in the moment, it did.
“When I was at Rotherham, I kind of accepted it. It is what it is and things happen in life and you can’t change it.
“Then I was on my form (again) and scoring goals and got my injury, which didn’t help and put me out for the rest of the season.
“It was a difficult year to accept with the chance of going to a massive club like that and potentially playing in the Premier League to then be sat at home with my feet up because I can’t do anything.
“But listen, that’s how life goes. You have your ups and downs and hopefully, I have more ups to come and that’s all down to my performances.
“It is what it is now and I can’t change that. I am just looking forward to kicking on with Huddersfield.”
Approaching his mid-twenties, Wiles, whose Millers contract was up next summer, had mentally prepared himself for moving on at some point this season.
After being a regular for the best part of five years, he was eager to sample something else.
There was also a financial consideration for his club to consider.
