‘He has that excitement factor’ – Millwall head coach on Aidomo Emakhu signing new deal

Millwall head coach Joe Edwards has given his reaction to Aidomo Emakhu signing a new long-term contract.

The 20-year-old attacker, a Republic of Ireland U21 international, joined the Lions in the last winter transfer window from Shamrock Rovers.

Both Emakhu and Romain Esse have been regular fixtures on the bench for the Championship side.

“I’m really pleased – it is great news,” said Edwards, when asked by the South London Press about one of the club’s top prospects extending his stay. “I want to be here for a long time and bringing young players through into the team is something I would love to be a big part of what we do.

“Aidomo is a player that I saw early on in the season, before I came to Millwall, and I liked the look of him. He has got that excitement factor that he can bring to the team.

“Like any young player coming into the Championship, particularly where he is from, he has made a very big jump. He has got a lot to work on which we’re helping him with every day – at Cardiff he showed some glimpses of being a threat for us.

“He played in the U21s this week and scored a hat-trick, so he’s had a good week in general. Hopefully we can keep seeing him on the pitch as much as possible while we are developing him.”

Emakhu’s improved terms reflect the fact he has progressed since arriving from Shamrock Rovers a year ago.

Asked about incrementally rewarded a player’s development, Edwards said: “It’s a really good way of doing it, how the club do it here.

“We’ve all seen examples of young players in the past that maybe get rewarded with really long-term deals and big finances around them without really doing much at all – sometimes it doesn’t help them and creates a lot of noise around them that they find difficult to live up to.

“Sometimes it does compromise their own ambition and work ethic every day. But the way it has been more of a gradual thing with the young players here is a really good way of doing it.

“In Aidomo’s case since I’ve got here he has been a real pleasure to work with and works hard every day. He’s really keen to listen. He’s already beginning to feel the ups and downs, where he has started a game for us and then had games where he doesn’t get on. I asked him to play in the U21 game, to step away from squad, because it is important when they get their chance on the pitch with the first team, you have got to give as much chance for them to show the best of themselves.

“It’s difficult to keep sharpness and fitness when you’re not getting loads of minutes.

“So when you ask a player to go with the U21s and they get a hat-trick, it is pretty much all they can do. It’s a sign of his mentality.”

Emakhu has scored once at senior level, an excellently-taken finish in the August defeat at Norwich.

Edwards believes his treble against Cardiff U21s earlier this week is highly beneficial.

“Any time you get a good feeling on a football pitch it can help,” he said. “We have got players in our team who are probably at the other end of that spectrum at the moment where when you go through setbacks that even the simple things can feel that little more difficult.

“I’m sure Aidomo feels all the better for coming off that pitch. It was great for me to see. It was a great message for him to send to all of us.

“Different type of goals can indicate different things. There are times you can not do a lot in a game and go and get a tap-in or two – so from a coaching point of view you have to take that for what it is. But particularly his third goal on Monday was a real individual effort, to take on a couple of defenders, create his own space and hit a powerful strike from the edge of the box that probably goes in against a Championship goalkeeper as well.”

PICTURE: MILLWALL FC