Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Millwall hires ex-Stoke manager after firing Neil Harris

POSTED ON December 31, 2024 •   SPORTS      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Stoke City boss, Alex Neil

English Club, Millwall, has appointed former Preston North End, Sunderland and Stoke City boss, Alex Neil, as head coach on a “long-term” contract.

The 43-year-old Scot most recently managed the Potters, having taken over in August 2022, but was sacked just over 12 months ago.

Neil, who won promotion from the Championship as manager of Norwich City in 2015, takes over from Neil Harris whose second stint with the Lions ended this month.

Neil was in the stands in the CBS Arena on Sunday, watching his new side battle to a goalless draw with Frank Lampard’s Coventry City. The result kept them 13th in the table.

Millwall’s director of football Steve Gallen said Neil was a head coach with “proven methods” and “exciting ideas”.

“Ultimately, Alex has an excellent track record in the Championship for results and development of young talent, as well as many other attributes that we feel confident will drive us forward as a club,” Gallen told the club website, external.

Neil’s first match in charge of Millwall will be their home game against Oxford United on 1 January.

The Lions were 11th in the Championship and had not won in their previous four games when Harris, who returned in February for a second stint in charge of the club, announced he would leave earlier in December.

Since then they impressively ended play-off chasing Blackburn Rovers’ six-game winning run before being defeated 2-1 by Norwich on Boxing Day.

Neil takes over a mid-table club that has won just once in their past nine Championship games.

Having overseen promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs with Norwich almost 10 years ago, he left the Canaries in March 2017 after they returned to the second tier.

Later that year he took over at Preston, where he spent four years, before being sacked with the club 16th in the Championship at the time.

He joined the Black Cats on a short-term contract in 2022 and won promotion from League One through the play-offs shortly after, but left to join Stoke early the following season.

He has been out of management for over a year since his 16-month stay at Stoke came to an end in early December 2023, with the Potters 20th in the table.

Martin Canning, who worked alongside Neil at Stoke and Sunderland, has also moved to south-east London as assistant head coach.

Neil has likened the challenge he has at Millwall to the job he first took on at Deepdale in the summer of 2017.

“The opportunity was a great one for me,” Neil said on his arrival at Millwall. I think it’s very much similar to when I went in at Preston, going into a good environment.

“It’s not as if there are huge problems. The team wasn’t struggling and I had to go in and develop a style of play, maybe bring some of the younger players through, so I see this as a very similar project to what I did there.”

 

READ ALSO
2025 African Karate Championship Kicks Off in Abuja: Four Categories, One Goal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 21, 2025 0

More than 1,000 competitors from 31 nations have gathered in Abuja for the 2025 African Karate Champ...

READ ALSO
SSC Napoli Completes €25 Million Deal for Noa Lang from PSV
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 17, 2025 0

Serie A champions Napoli confirmed on Thursday that they have signed Dutch forward Noa Lang from PSV...

READ ALSO
Niger United Secures Third Win; Coach Eyes League Trophy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 11, 2025 0

Niger United's coach, Yekini Adebayo, has shown optimism regarding his team's chances of claiming th...

READ ALSO
Rio Ferdinand Urges Manchester United to Secure Victor Osimhen Amidst Transfer Rumors
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 9, 2025 0

Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand has once again advised the club regarding their searc...

READ ALSO
Ex-D’Tigers coach Brown sets goals for new job
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 9, 2025 0

The former head coach of the Nigerian men's national basketball team, D'Tigers,Mike Brown,has s...

READ ALSO
Real Madrid Edges Borussia Dortmund 3–2 in Thrilling FIFA Club World Cup Clash
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 6, 2025 0

Real Madrid emerged victorious from a heart-stopping 3–2 thriller against Borussia Dortmund in...

READ ALSO
PSG Triumphs over Bayern Munich 2-0, Advances to FIFA Club World Cup Semifinals
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 5, 2025 0

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the European club football champion, has defeated Germany's Bayern Munich...

READ ALSO
FG Delivers on Housing Promise to 1994 Super Eagles
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Federal Government has at last honored its long-standing commitment to provide housing allocatio...

OUR CHANNELS:

PDP Shifts National Convention to November, Picks Ibadan Amid Internal Power Struggle
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

Abuja, Nigeria  – The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has announced the postpo...


APC Appoints Yilwatda Nentawe as Chairman, Declares 2027 a ‘Done Deal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

Abuja, Nigeria – The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC)...


Osun APC, PDP Clash Over Governor Adeleke's Failed Defection Attempt
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The Osun State branches of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Par...


Court Reinstates Benue CJ, Criticizes Alia
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The National Industrial Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ruled that the Benue State House of Assembly's...


LASG Announces Five Major Road Projects in Alimosho to Be Completed by 2025
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

The Lagos State Government has revealed that five significant road projects in the Alimosho Local Go...


Electricity Tariffs: Power Firms Push Back Against State Negotiations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

On Wednesday, energy commissioners from all 36 states announced their willingness to engage with pow...


Two Businessmen Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Cybercrime
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

A Federal High Court located in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced two businesspersons, Emmanuel Nwanze and...


Nigeria Police Force Dismantles Notorious Arms Supply Network Linked to Bandits
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 23, 2025 0

The Nigeria Police Force has successfully intercepted a notorious arms supply network linked to armi...


Maduka Okoye Suspended for Two Months Amid Betting Scandal
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 25, 2025 0

Udinese and Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has received a two-month suspension from the Italian Fo...


APC's National Assembly Power Grows to 70 with PDP Senator Defections
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara July 24, 2025 0

The number of All Progressives Congress (APC) senators in the National Assembly increased to 70 on W...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu