Aidomo Emakhu: Stop-start Millwall career has been frustrating – I’ve learned to listen to my body

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Aidomo Emakhu has described his Millwall career up until this point as “stop-start” and admits his burning desire to play regularly has backfired in the past.

The 21-year-old has made 11 Championship starts – with a further 29 appearances off the bench – since signing from Shamrock Rovers in January 2023.

Emakhu told the South London Press that there have been occasions when he has played through niggles because of wanting an extended run in the first-team.

The former Republic of Ireland U21 international missed the start of 2025 with a groin injury – not featuring for new head coach Alex Neil until February 18 against Preston North End.

“I haven’t played as much as I would have liked by now in my Millwall career – but it is all part of the process,” said Emakhu.

“It is the highs and lows of being a footballer. Everyone must think it is easy – you do what you love – but they don’t see the days you spend in the gym, if you’re injured, or on the physio’s bed.

“It is quite tough, especially for me, in terms of it has been stop-start.

“I’ve had a couple of injuries. Some of them were down to when I first came in that my body wasn’t used to the intensity of English football. The other stuff is my own doing, in terms of feeling a knock, playing through it and paying the price afterwards.”

Emakhu has revealed that his groin was giving off distress signals after he started the 1-0 win over Blackburn on December 21. He lasted just 13 minutes in the following fixture, against Norwich City.

“I was feeling quite a bit of discomfort in the Blackburn game but adrenaline gets you through when you haven’t played or started for so long,” he said.

“I was taking painkillers because I wanted to be available for Norwich – I thought I had quite a good chance of starting it. But you know, deep inside, something is not right.

“For the sake of not losing momentum you don’t want to disrupt that, so I got a massage and strapped it up. I knew if I wasn’t careful something was going to go.

“Looking back, with hindsight, it’s easy to say I shouldn’t have played the game. I won’t say I regret it, but I’ve definitely learned from it. It is about when to say your body needs a break or you’re available.

“Every footballer wants to be on the pitch and playing every week.

“At the younger age groups when you are feeling a niggle you can almost play through it – but now it is more demanding and your body requires a massive workload and greater demand.”

Emakhu has not scored in 21 matches this season. His only Millwall goal remains an expertly-taken consolation at Norwich in August 2023.

“Every winger wants goals and assists but I don’t think stats tell the full story,” said Emakhu. “There are other ways an attacking player, or any player, can have a positive impact on a game and I feel that I definitely have.

“I have played games where I have impacted heavily but may not have come away with a goal or assist.

“You go back to the Watford game at the start of the season – the first goal for Dunc (Watmore), the ball comes in from me but comes off someone else before it gets to him. So it doesn’t count as an assist.

“In the Derby game recently, Josh (Coburn) scores the winner but Sav (George Saville) misses the first one and Josh gets the rebound. The ball comes in from the left, from me, so it doesn’t go down as an assist – but I’m happy because I’m impacting the game in another way. You might have one moment and it’s important you make it count.

“As long as I’m helping the team then I don’t worry about goals and assists because I know they will come eventually.

“I grew up scoring goals. You want to maintain that through your career but as the level goes up you need to find different solutions and ways to perfect that.”

Emakhu signed a new long-term deal in December 2023.

“When I signed the contract there has been a lot of change since then,” he said. “You think one manager is going to be there a long time and you’re going to be working under him for the next couple of years.

“You have got to adjust. What the club are doing, and the vision they have, back then it really interested me. I felt comfortable and at home. It felt like the right place for me to be at this moment of my career. It’s why I signed a new deal.

“I’m still learning my trade, as we speak. I don’t look back on it with any sort of regrets.”