Zian Flemming on drop in shooting stats, Millwall knocking back summer bids from Burnley and why Preston matchball isn’t on display at home

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

The last time that Zian Flemming played at Preston North End he left with a hat-trick. But the matchball from his only career league treble is not on show at home – with a pumpkin taking preference.

Halloween is still a little way off but the Lions number 10 will look to put the frighteners on Ryan Lowe’s high-flying side tomorrow in a lunchtime kick-off and add to his goal haul for the current campaign.

Flemming had to persuade an over-officious steward to hand over the matchball at Deepdale last season after a mischevious moment from team-mate George Saville.

“Sav was being funny so he took the ball away from me and kicked it towards our fans,” Flemming told the South London Press. “It was to make sure I had to go and pick it up right in front of them – so I’d be the centre of attention, which is always a little bit awkward.

“The steward grabbed the ball and didn’t want to give it to me. He probably didn’t realise what had happened in the 90 minutes before that.

“The ball is in a closet at home. Home is just home and my missus is more busy with the interior side than me – it’s not a museum. I don’t have any of the trophies I’ve won out either. I think my missus has just put them away.

“We did have the ones out from Millwall’s awards ceremony in May – for my Goal Of The Season (against Rotherham) and also the Player of the Season (voted for by Millwall Supporters’ Club). I think she has replaced them now for some Halloween stuff!”

Flemming has scored twice for the  Lions in the last five matches. At the same stage of the 2022-23 campaign he was already on five.

“I want to score more, so I’m not happy yet with the amount of goals I have,” said the former Fortuna Sittard attacker.

“But at the same time last season when I had five I wanted more – so that never really stops being the case.

“I think I can score more and that I will score more but it’s not that I’m too worried about it. It’s always a process and about helping the team.

“If you see how we play then I can see an improvement in our gameplay and that is when players can excel individually or make the difference with goals and assists. I’m confident that is going to be more and more soon.”

Flemming was the Championship’s seventh highest scorer last season with 15 – two  goals behind fellow Lion Tom Bradshaw.

The ex-Ajax youngster had a shoot-on-sight policy with 124 attempts, only exceeded by Joel Piroe (138) and Viktor Gyokeres (136). But he is 61st in the division for strikes at goal this time around.

“Yeah I do,” said Flemming, when asked if he felt like he had had fewer shots. “I don’t know that there is a particular reason for it, at least not that I’m aware of.

“I know especially at the beginning of last season I got into shooting positions a lot and now it seems to be harder to get into those positions. Whether or not that is our play or maybe the opposition keeping a better eye on me, I don’t really know.

“I always try to get in scoring positions as much as possible.

“Last season I had loads of shots but it wasn’t like a lot of them were massive chances. I don’t know the xG but the expected goals was probably not incredibly high because it was sometimes from longer range or outside the box. The stats are the stats – they don’t lie – but  I don’t know what has really caused it.”

Flemming was the subject of multiple bids from Burnley in the summer that eventually topped £10million. But Millwall rejected their overtures with the Premier League newcomers moving on to other targets.

“It’s every player’s dream – especially if you play in England – to get to the Premier League,” said Flemming. “Plan A was, and still is, to get there with Millwall.

“Unfortunately we didn’t succeed to do that last season and then during the transfer window you get the chance to do it on your own, which is Plan B. Not just my Plan B but also the club’s Plan B, because that is also just how football works.

“But football also works that sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t.

“You have just got to deal with it. It is a part that can be difficult but luckily I’ve experienced it before, so that helped.

“I wouldn’t say it was disappointing, because it just goes how it goes.

“It would’ve been incredible to play in the Premier League and I’d have been really proud to do so – but if the clubs can’t agree a fee then they can’t agree a fee.

“It took a very long time (the process of Burnley’s bids), so it wasn’t like I felt I was going there and one second later it didn’t happen. It was over the course of months that it was going on.

“I thought that it would happen and then it seemed to be less likely. It gradually faded away – it wasn’t like there was a big shock and then the disappointment. It was more that it looked like it wasn’t going to happen, so you have more time to get your head around it.

“We came back for pre-season and then you are into our preparations and sessions, you invest your energy into improving this team as well.”

Flemming has one pal in the top-flight – Newcastle United defender Sven Botman.

“We know each other quite well. He lives very close to me and he was in the Ajax academy as well – we always shared the minivan from school to training,” said Flemming.

The 25-year-old scored in Millwall’s last match on the road – a 2-0 win at Plymouth.

And he also set up George Saville for a 90th minute clincher, although his strong challenge on Kaine Kesler-Hayden to win the ball on the edge of the box was described as “a forearm smash” by Argyle boss Steven Schumacher.

Flemming chuckles when the incident is brought up.

“If you look back at it, it’s probably a foul,” said the Millwall man. “It’s part of the game, sometimes you get fouled and they don’t get given.

“At the time I did it, it didn’t feel like a foul – it felt like I’d just read the situation and blocked him. It probably looked the same to the ref. But if you see it back then it’s a bit of a push and I put my arm on his chest.

“He fell down quite extremely, like it was a big impact, so it made it look worse than what it was.”

Millwall have injuries to contend with for the North End clash. Ryan Leonard is the latest to be ruled out with a cracked bone in his knee.

Duncan Watmore, who assisted Flemming’s goal at Plymouth, is sidelined with a hamstring problem.

It means minutes for some of the Lions squad cannot be managed so effectively or easily.

“I wouldn’t want a break anyway – during the games,” said Flemming. “The international break is fine for getting that.

“It happens every season and at every club – a point where people are injured.

“Hopefully they are not injured too badly and they’ll be back ASAP because the more bodies we have the stronger we are as a squad.

“When someone gets injured the squad is disappointed for the guy but we also know what we need to crack on and pick it up – keep doing our jobs and make sure it doesn’t affect results.”