“I’ve loved it so far” – Gary Rowett on one-year anniversary of becoming Millwall manager

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Gary Rowett has clocked up a year in charge of Millwall – and admits he has enjoyed every minute.

The former Birmingham, Derby and Stoke City manager succeeded Neil Harris in SE16 on October 21, 2019 and has taken 64 points from a possible 117.

The Lions finished eighth last season, their form under Rowett turning what looked to be a scrap for survival into a push for the top six which only ended after the penultimate fixture at QPR.

Millwall are fourth in the standings in the current campaign after a 2-0 victory over Luton last night.

They have conceded just 36 goals in 39 Championship fixtures, including 17 clean sheets.

“I’ve loved it so far,” Rowett told the South London Press.

“When I joined, I joined hoping I’d be joining a club that really knew what it was about – there was no airs or graces. I felt it was a good fit, in that sense.

“Having spent time there I’ve got to say the staff, people around the ground, John [Berylson, owner], Steve [Kavanagh, chief executive], the girls in the office and the players – everyone has just pulled together to be as good as we can be.

“You only really get that when you’re inside the club. It’s a fabulous place and a fantastic club. The 12 months have flown by. We’ve had six weeks all sat at home to deliberate for some of that period. It’s been a bizarre period in many ways but I’ve really enjoyed it.

“The team has really impressed, the way they have taken on different ideas, the way they have performed and the level of consistency. And just the sheer openness to do a few different things.

“I enjoy going into work every day and that’s probably the biggest testament to everyone at the club. I enjoy driving down to London from being at home – it’s hard because I’ve got four kids and I love where I live. I don’t like living away from home but I’ve loved living in London as well. It’s a vibrant city, not that I’ve seen a lot of it! It’s a great place for your family to come down.

“Our results have been pretty good. I’d be interested to see where we’d be over that period if the league started when we came in.

“I always think success, in some ways, should be defined by other people. For me it’s just about trying to be better every day and improve the team all the time, trying to be more flexible and improve certain areas. You focus on that so much it is hard to group together big periods of time because you’re focused on the next game and next period of games.

“We’re pleased with what we’ve done so far and we think there is a little bit of room to keep improving as well.”

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