‘It’s always been the way at Millwall…it takes time’ – Millwall boss comments on summer signing’s growing influence
Millwall head coach Neil Harris has talked about the form of summer signing Femi Azeez.
The 25-year-old winger joined near the end of the summer transfer window from Reading and recently has chipped in with assists for the clinching winning goals against Swansea and Burnley, scored by Casper De Norre and Jake Cooper.
Azeez was also a livewire in the 1-1 draw at Stoke City before the international break. It was his cross from the left of the penalty area which took a deflection off a home defender for Josh Coburn to finish from close range.
“It’s always been the way at our football club – it takes time,” said Harris, when asked about Azeez beginning to deliver strong displays. “There are very few players who immediately become a superstar in a Millwall team.
“You look at your goalscorers over the years…..it took me months to settle in, at the back end of one season and the start of the following one. It took Steve Morison a long time to get going – and Lee Gregory.
“Current players – Japhet Tanganga, it took him a time to get going. Sav and Jed came into the team on loan and they were in and out of the team until they became more permanent mainstays.
“It takes time and that’s what I’ve said with the new signings. Femi has come in late in the window. It was a very long, drawn-out process of coming to the football club and he is just getting himself up to speed about what is the demand on him – how I want him to play and what I expect, with and without the ball. But also what the demand is of 15,000 people at The Den on a Saturday afternoon.
“He is getting to grips with that. He is thriving and doing well. He is progressing his game all the time and showing what a threat he can be in every action on the pitch now.
“For me to now have a flying Romain Esse, a flying Duncan Watmore and now a very in-form Femi Azeez is a great position for a manager who wants to play with wide players.”
PICTURE: BRIAN TONKS