In his late twenties, Tonge while playing for the MIllers suffered a serious injury and started to wonder what would come next in his working life.
It was then that a door opened to Tonge’s second career in football, in coaching, courtesy of Hamshaw, then a development phase lead coach with his hometown club.
tTonge told The Yorkshire Post: "Knowing Hammy as a person; he actually got me into coaching so there’s a big connection there.
"When I had a bad injury at Rotherham, he was head of (development phase) coaching at the time and got me into it.
"It’s something I have never forgotten. I obviously wasn’t that old, but at the same time, it was a significant injury.
"I did spend a hell of a lot of time on my own and on an evening, Hammy just said: ‘why don’t you come down and see what it’s like and see if you like it’ and literally from the first session, I genuinely got the bug.
"I was coaching from 28 and 12 years later, I am still doing it and loving it.
"There’s been a connection for a long, long time. It’s a really good fit.
"He’s a young manager and me being a little bit different (as a person) can hopefully help him and the club moving forward."