‘It’s all around mentality’ – Neil Harris on the start of keeper Lukas Jensen’s Millwall career

Neil Harris has assessed Lukas Jensen’s start to life in Millwall colours and has talked about wanting to help take his game to the next level.

The Lions paid an undisclosed sum to Lincoln City for the big Danish stopper in the summer.

Jensen, who was signed after the tragic passing of Matija Sarkic, kept 19 clean sheets for the Imps last season. He had also been a transfer target for Charlton before Millwall made their move for him.

The 25-year-old, who was on the books of Saturday’s opponents Burnley, has kept five clean sheets, three of those in the last four Championship matches.

Lions head coach Harris told the South London Press: “You talk about young players at 18 and 19 – Dan Kelly, Miha [Ivanovic] and Romain [Esse] – even Femi at 22, just turned 23, he is young in terms of Championship football and has not played 100 games in the Football League.

“Then you have got Lukas, who has played over 100 games and was statistically the second best goalkeeper in League One last season. But he is very young in goalkeeping terms and is in the infancy of his Millwall career.

“The big reason I was invited back to the football club was to guide a Millwall team into being a Millwall team. To teach these younger players how to play for the football club.

“That is why I talk about the importance of Hutch being here – and Sav, Lenny and Coops. They are Millwall men.

“Lukas, for me, is in that mould. He needs to find a consistency of being a Millwall goalkeeper. Millwall fans will be the first to accept errors and rash moments in games – because they have seen plenty of them over the years! But try and be as consistent as you can be. That’s what Lukas has got to find. It’s all around mentality.

“I speak from working and being friends with Andy Marshall (goalkeeping coach). Tony Warner, for example, as well – they are two senior goalkeepers who had brilliant careers here. I was very close to David Forde and even Bart Bialkowski now. Brian Horne. We’re talking about five of the best Millwall goalkeepers over the last four decades that I’m very close with.

“I’m trying to pass my knowledge – not the tactical or technical side of goalkeeping at Millwall because that is Marshy’s job – but the mentality side, that is my job. I’m the best man who can do that.

“It is about making the right decisions at key moments in games. And key moments can be in the third minute on Sunday, at home to Burnley when it is 0-0. That could be the key moment. It is my trying to help Lukas make as many good and strong Millwall decisions that he can and be as consistent as he can.

“It is about helping him grow because technically he is very, very, very impressive.”