‘His goalscoring record is phenomenal’ – Neil Harris outlines where new signing Langstaff can succeed at Millwall

Neil Harris believes that Macaulay Langstaff’s prolific goalscoring return from a lower level will provide a platform for the striker to succeed at Millwall – just as it did for Lions greats Steve Morison, Lee Gregory and himself.

The Lions paid a six-figure sum to Notts County to sign the 27-year-old on a long-term deal.

This year’s Championship camipiagn will be Langstaff’s first taste of football above League Two, having only featured in his first EFL season last year with Notts County following their promotion from the National League.

Langstaff scored 71 goals in 96 appearances for the Magpies, including 42 in 47 matches in their National League promotion-winning campaign in 2022-23.

“He’s an out-and-out goalscorer,” Harris told the South London Press.

“That’s the most important attribute – his goalscoring record is phenomenal.

“I have seen him personally first-hand on more than one occasion, and it’s not just his goalscoring ability, but his personality, his confidence and movement on the pitch.

“He has the ability to link play, run forward and pop up in pockets. He’s a natural goalscorer, which is his biggest attribute.

“If you look at the fact that over the last 30 years, the strikers who have had the biggest impact at Millwall Football Club, barring Tom Bradshaw at the moment, who came from League One, has been myself, Steve Morison and Lee Gregory, who have come out of non-league football or the lower reaches.

“Players who have dropped down from above or who have come from the same level have had the attributes to do it.

“It’s just that, for whatever reason, the three of us have been the highest goalscorers at the football club for a long time since Teddy Sheringham.

“I’m certainly not putting too much pressure on Maucauly to follow in those footsteps. We hope that his natural attributes – playing to succeed, being hungry to score goals, his drive and energy – will be infectious on the group.

“Then his natural instinct to score goals will able to see him be as prolific as we were.”

The Lions are still in the market for more signings and Harris stated following the first arrival that he wants at least five to seven new bodies through the door this summer.

The Lions have also completed the signing of ex-loanee Japhet Tanganga on a permanent deal this week and Lincoln City stopper Lukas Jensen.

When asked how many he hoped to have done by the time Millwall take on Watford for the first outing of the 2024-25 season on August 10, Harris said: “All of them.

“It’s tough. I’m not saying it’s essential that we have all the players in [by the first game of the season].

“You get to a certain level and then you have to look at the loan market. The loans from Premier League clubs come really late.

“They kick off a week later and the Euros and Copa America are still ongoing.

“They need to fill their teams and prepare for the start of their season.

“We have been really patient as a football club. Steve Gallen has come in to lead up the recruitment side of things and was finding his way.

“He’s really got his teeth stuck into it now and I’m delighted for Steve that Maucauly is over the line – hopeuflly a couple more follow really quickly.

“But we don’t stop. We’re relentless at the moment in looking.”