Exclusive: Millwall midfielder hoping to extend his stay

Billy Mitchell wants to stay at Millwall and has confirmed the South London Press‘ exclusive story that the Championship side have an option to extend his contract by a further 12 months.

The 24-year-old midfielder has featured 166 times for the Lions and came through their academy ranks.

Mitchell is due to be a free agent at the end of June but Millwall have an extension trigger they can activate.

“Millwall have an option on me, to extend the contract on the same terms into next season,” he told our paper last week, before a calf injury ruled him out of their Easter matches. “I’ve not really spoken to them about it yet. I know they are going to be very busy with a lot of the other players.

“I’m sure we will get around to it at some point. I don’t really have much on that, from my point, I just want to keep going out and playing as well as possible. Prove again that I can get back to the highs I felt I hit a couple of years ago when I was playing pretty much every game. If so then I’m sure there will be a conversation to be had with the club.”

So is his contractual situation something he churns over?

“It doesn’t come into my head,” he said. “I honestly don’t think about that.

“I know it will get dealt with at some point – and in the way it needs to. I know there is nothing I can really do about it apart from going out there and performing.

“Would I like to be here? Yeah, of course. I look at clubs around us in the Championship and we always have as good a chance as anyone of making the play-offs.

“Not only that, from a location perspective, I get to live at home with my family and be on the doorstep of probably the best city in the country.

“The club is a short commute and it is also aspirational. I feel like gradually over the past few years, no matter the manager and signings we’ve made, it has always been progressing in the right direction.

“It’s a great club to be part of. I’ve been here a long time and I feel comfortable around everyone who is here.

“As I’ve started to play better I’ve felt more well-received. Yeah, I’m happy.”