“His mentality is incredible” – Millwall boss expects this player to have increased game time

Billy Mitchell is being backed to play a greater role for Millwall next season – with Gary Rowett hugely impressed by the teenager’s attitude.

The 19-year-old midfielder made 10 appearances for the Lions in all competitions in the last campaign.

Mitchell was handed his debut at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Millwall manager Rowett has spoken before about how the academy product’s work ethic has pushed him into his first-team thoughts.

“When you look at young players, you look at them in certain categories,” said Rowett.

“What you look at first is what is their ability level or potential ability level? The second thing is what is their mentality and what is their attitude?

“What I’d say to Billy is that he’s got excellent ability. There might be players at our club with sometimes more natural ability, but Billy has probably got the best mentality at that age and that level that I’ve seen.

“He will be whatever player he will be, it will only come down to where will his technical level be – because his mentality is incredible.

“That’s what I like in a young player. He’ll go and do everything that he can to be in the first team. He’s been in the first team and then out of it – it never affected him once.

“I asked him to play right wing-back and it never affected him once. He came out of the team for Mahlon [Romeo] to go back in – it never affected him.

“He trains the same way all the time.

“He’ll have a big part to play over the next few years.

“What he’s done so far, he’s kind of forced you into thinking about playing him because of his mentality.

“I see him being capable of doing what Jayson Molumby has done this season. I don’t see why not. He can be that energetic midfielder – box to box and breaking the game up.

“I expect him to certainly play more games next season.”