Former Millwall striker Stevie Crawford backing Kevin Nisbet to be a Den success story

BY EDMUND BRACK
edmund@slpmedia.co.uk

Kevin Nisbet’s former boss Stevie Crawford believes that Millwall will only benefit from his extra spell in Scottish football – and has revealed he believed the striker was primed for a Championship move three years ago.

The Lions made the centre-forward their first signing of the summer transfer window, shelling out a seven-figure sum to secure his services.

Nisbet went from being released by Partick Thistle at the end of the 2017-18 season – following a failed loan spell at Dumbarton where he made 13 appearances without scoring – to being capped by Scotland in March 2021.

He found his sweet spot in front of goal after he joined Scottish League One side Raith Rovers in 2018 and bagged 34 goals in 46 outings in all competitions.

Crawford, who scored 11 times in 42 appearances in a one-season stay at Millwall before moving on in 1997,  signed Nisbet in 2019.

Nisbet had a prolific return of 23 goals in 32 games for the Scottish Championship side.

Then the frontman – 23 at the time – ended up signing for Premiership side Hibernian.

“I knew Kevin was going to get a move, and so did my chairman Ross McArthur,” Crawford told the South London Press.

“Did we want to lose him? Of course not – but you can’t stand in their way.

“I felt at that point, because I had a decent relationship with him, that England and the Championship probably was the right move for him at that time.

“In hindsight, Millwall will have benefitted [from his time at Hibs].

“He’s played in the Scottish Premiership – scored goals at that level – and he’s also broken into the Scotland set-up. He will settle better into the lifestyle as well.

“Maturity comes with things you have to deal with. It’s not my place to talk about it too much, but he lost his dad and he dealt with that. He then had to endure the injury issue at Hibs in the last 12 to 18 months.

“When you break into the Scotland set up, you then start to see how guys at that level behave with the clubs that they are at. You think: ‘I want to be like them’.

“When you’re 21, you’re still thinking slightly selfishly and thinking it’s all about you. But Kevin is 26 now and he has come through adversity.

“There is still improvement in him. He’s more ready for it now than he would have been two or three years ago. Millwall are getting an ambitious player.”

Nisbet managed five goal contributions – two goals and three assists – in his first nine Championship games for Dunfermline under Crawford.

It was after being benched away to Dundee United in October that Nisbet really found his form at East End Park, scoring 12 goals in seven games.

“He loves a challenge,” said Crawford.

“We had a decent start that season and then hit a little lull. I put him on the bench just to give him a kick up the backside, and he scored in the next seven games.

“The pleasing thing was seeing the respect he got from his team-mates. The boys liked him – everyone at Dunfermline liked him.

“He has that hunger and ruthlessness where he loves scoring the goals and being the man, but he is also very popular with the coaching staff and in the dressing room.

“Unfortunately, we only had him for a season. But that was down to only getting him on a three-year contract and it would have been silly for us to refuse the offers we did that summer.”

Nisbet struck four goals in 55 minutes against Partick during his purple patch for Dunfermline.

“I never taught Kevin how to score goals – I only encouraged him,” said Crawford.

“He was raging with me when I took him off. He wanted to go on and try and score five, six or seven.

“It’s a great sign to have someone with that attitude. He was very deadly around the box. He can score headers and score from around the box or outside of it. It’s a credit to him that he has that ability.”

Nisbet scored 39 goals and registered 12 assists for Hibs in 101 appearances in all competitions, helping them secure European football and reach the final of the Scottish League Cup during his three seasons at Easter Road.

“You have got a natural finisher who loves scoring goals,” added Crawford, a former striker who was brought to the Lions by Jimmy Nicholl. “He’s quick and can bring other players into the game – he has got better at that.

“His link-up play has improved as he’s gone from being a regular at Raith Rovers’ first team, to working with me at Dunfermline and then moving on to Hibs.

“He will give Gary (Rowett) and his management teams options up there. He wants to score goals, but if not, he wants to set up goals.”

So can Nisbet lead the line in the Championship, or is he better suited to playing in a two up top?

“He can do both,” said Crawford. “He has the adaptability to play as a lone striker or play up top alongside another forward.

“I’m not saying he’s going to walk in and do it right away, but Kevin can get in behind and unsettle a defensive line. He has a good tactical awareness about him, so if he has people around him or has to drop into a 10 position at times, he can play as well.

“It will be exciting because he will want to prove to people he can do it at that level.

“I have no doubts that if he applies himself properly, he will be a great addition to Gary’s squad and Millwall will have a good season.

“I’m sure that Gary and Millwall’s management team will put demands on him.

“Hopefully they will be a little patient with him and allow him to settle in – there are different demands put on you down there and it’s a very competitive league with more matches.”