Millwall’s Duncan Watmore on his pre-season ‘milestone’ and why he no longer sets individual targets

Duncan Watmore has been one of Millwall’s strongest performers in pre-season but that does not mean he is setting lofty personal targets for the 2023-23 season.

Actually he isn’t setting any targets. Not one. And when you consider the 29-year-old has had to battle back from two ACL injuries – considering retirement at one stage – then you begin to understand why.

But Watmore is feeling excitement and anticipation as he gears up for the Championship opener at his old club Middlesbrough tomorrow.

The former England U21 international told the South London Press: “I think this is the first pre-season I’ve done, since I did my knee seven years ago, that I have done every single session.

“That is a good milestone for me and something I’m proud of – that I’ve got my body through it and I feel good. I’m grateful to the staff and what we’re doing behind the scenes to keep me on the pitch.

“I don’t know why it has been this way. I wish I had the magic answer. Sometimes my knee reacts and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Watmore made 37 appearances last season, 16 of those for Millwall after switching Teesside for SE16 in the January transfer window.

He scored twice on the final day against Blackburn Rovers and collected two assists in the penultimate fixture, a 3-2 win at Blackpool that boosted the Lions’ play-off hopes.

But the end-of-season knockout, and the Premier League, were not to be. Blackburn hit back to win 4-3 and Millwall finished eighth.

“We know we threw away the opportunity,” said Watmore. “It was incredibly disappointing but it has happened – we’ve got to move on.”

Watmore’s past setbacks ensure he takes a short-term approach.

“I definitely don’t set targets – I’m much more focused on the process and what I want to do each day,” he said. “The injuries mean I never look too far forward any more – I was playing in the Premier League and three years later I’d hardly kicked a ball and I was playing in League One. Football can change very, very quickly.

“I feel in a good place. In terms of the starting line-up at Boro, I’ll respect the management team’s decisions. You’ve got to support the lads either way. It’s a long season and you need to stay patient.”