Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw are Millwall’s most prolific Championship doubt act in years

Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw are Millwall’s most potent scoring double act since Championship status was regained in 2017.

The pair have 13 league goals apiece this season and one of them needs to net just once more to move ahead of Matt Smith to become the most prolific Lions player since the club won the League One play-off final against Bradford City.

Next in their sights after that will be Darius Henderson. He finished with 15 Championship goals – and 19 in all competitions – in the 2011-12 season.

Flemming and Bradshaw have 26 goals in total in the current campaign, one more than Henderson and his strike partner Andy Keogh (10) managed, and are joint fourth in the divisional scoring charts.

Bradshaw’s prowess in February has clinched him the Championship Player of the Month award after also being shortlisted in January.

Club record signing Flemming has notched in three successive matches as well as assisting Bradshaw in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Norwich.

“I don’t imagine there are too many number nines and 10s that are on that amount of goals between them – they have shown an incredible level of consistency,” Rowett told the South London Press.

“It’s always nice to be recognised externally (in terms of awards) but if you are an attacking player then just by being on 13 goals it is enough of a validation in the Championship.

“Signing Zian was always going to need to work for us because he was essentially replacing Jed [Wallace], who was an important member of our team and had so much of a part to play in our attacking set up.

“If you look at Zian’s numbers, it has been incredible. He’s been an upgrade really, that’s no disrespect, just in terms of the numbers.

“Bradders has benefitted from that as well. When you have one of the players who takes most of the defensive brunt of stuff, it means it usually creates a little bit more for others. For us it meant [before] if you stopped one it was very hard for us to have the same level.

“Now you have got to stop two players. The ideal for any team is that if you stop two players then there are another two that you’ve got to stop – having those multiple threats means it is very hard to reduce a good team, with good attacking options, to limited chances. That’s the key.

“We have had two who have been so good and they are so different in the way they play. Bradders is at 100 per cent, 100 per cent of the time – but also shows some really good touches. His pressing and workrate is so selfless and he’s had some brilliant, brilliant finishes.

“Zian is a bit different, isn’t he? He wants to play a little bit deeper. He wants to run from deeper. He’s not really a back-to-goal type of striker. He’s much more clinical. It suits him more to come on to things and arrive on things in space, receive things and turn forward.

“It’s a really nice combination. I never want to diminish the other players’ performances – it’s simply if you’re an attacking player then you are going to get judged on goals and assists as well as what you bring to the team. Any of those players have to get to six or seven goals, otherwise we’re never going to score enough.”

Flemming is physically strong and does not appear to have shirked pumping iron since his £1.7million move from Fortuna Sittard in the summer. His ability to hold off markers has been readily apparent in recent months.

“At the start of the season he didn’t know the league and hadn’t played in one that was quite as physical,” said Rowett. “It’s going to take a little bit of time to get used to the level of contact – what is acceptable and what you need to do to protect the ball a little bit more and create chances.

“Zian had a little period out injured. He’s a really intelligent player. I haven’t really spoken to him about it massively, but I think he realised he needed to add a little bit of extra muscle. He’s always in the gym and meticulous on nutrition and how he prepares for games.

“His anticipation of contact has been better and his body strength to withstand that contact has been better. With the technical qualities he has then it is a really nice package for the Championship, or English football in general.

“A lot of players who would come from Holland or the Eredivisie as a league, they recognise how quick and intense English football is.

“He’s adapted to that really, really well and been very impressive.”