‘Cannot come quickly enough’ – Millwall midfielder eager to crack on at Boro after below-par team display against Sheffield United

George Honeyman says that Saturday’s match at Middlesbrough “cannot come quickly enough” after their exit from the FA Cup last weekend.

The Lions are in fine fettle in the Championship and on a four-match unbeaten run which puts them sixth in the table.

But Honeyman admits it is a blow to be out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 loss to Sheffield United last weekend.

“With Burnley winning their fixture [in the competition] it means we now we have a free week, which isn’t great,” the former Sunderland and Hull City midfielder told the South London Press. “We want to keep the games coming and keep them flowing.

“The gaffer put out a strong team. Sheffield United are, if not the best, then one of the best teams in the league. It was always going to be a tough game, whoever they put out.

“We were disappointed with our performance. We let them get away with it before we managed to put a good fight up.

“Looking back we still had a couple of really good chances to make the game more interesting. As the gaffer kept telling us, if we score one it becomes a totally different game.

“Now the league is our only priority. Saturday can’t come quickly enough after a defeat, which is always the way in footy.”

The furthest Honeyman believes he has gone in the FA Cup is the fifth round – his professional debut for Sunderland against Bradford in February 2015.

“It’s not got great track record,” he said. “I think it [the Sheffield United match] is the first time I’ve been strung against someone in the same division, normally it has been a Premier League team which has been a good day out and you enjoy the experience.

“To get a Championship team at home, it’s disappointing not to be going through to the next round but we’ve got to move on from that.”

See tomorrow’s South London Press for a full interview with Honeyman.