Gary Rowett explains Millwall backroom reshuffle as assistant Davidson takes St Johnstone job

Millwall manager Gary Rowett will shuffle his backroom team to ensure there is continuity after his assistant Callum Davidson left to fill the hotseat at SPL St Johnstone.

Adam Barrett will step into the Scot’s boots at The Den, to ensure the players’ preparation for tomorrow’s big home game against Derby is not disrupted.

And U23 boss Kevin Nugent will become first-team coach.

Rowett said: “Adam has been excellent since Callum and I arrived. He has put himself forward with great enthusiasm and done everything we have asked of him – and to a very high standard.

“He has a great affinity with the players and they have respect for him – and that showed in the games he managed as caretaker before we arrived.

“We want continuity. It is good we have not needed to bring anyone new into the building. Adam has really impressed me. And Kevin will step up. That could equally have been Paul Robinson but Kevin has a bit more experience. We will have a critical look at how that works.

“Callum being asked to do the job is a compliment to the work he has done with us here. As a team, we have been successful. We want people with ambition, who want to further their careers, to be better at their jobs.

“The flip side is that they get offers they want to pursue. He got the offer probably quicker than he thought. I said ‘If it is something you really want to do, we will try to help.’ The club does not stand in the way of people who want to progress – I do not think that is right, to make it hard for someone to take their chance.

“He has been away from his family for two years – so I don’t think his wife Lorna and their two girls would have thanked us if we had stopped him.

“He goes with our best wishes. He will be a big miss because he has been an integral part of what we are doing. The timing is not fantastic. But it is good there will be a minimum of disruption before Saturday.”

The Lions have been experimenting with piped crowd noise during their pre-restart friendlies.

“We have heard nothing from the EFL saying we cannot and it may help the players,” said Rowett.

“We hope it will resemble a hostile home crowd. But having an atmosphere may help both teams.”

The players will relish being up against player-boss and former England star Wayne Rooney. “He is a top player – but Derby have a lot of good, technical players,” said Rowett. “If you focus on only one, they can hurt you. We have to stop them doing what they want to do and cause them problems – challenge them to try and stop us.

“The players are desperate to get started. They are excited to take the bull by the horns and see where we can finish – but they are also under no illusions, because there are so many things that can go wrong.”