Keeper George Long on signing new deal at Millwall and his respect for rival Bartosz Bialkowski

George Long has had a highly eventful January, but for all the right reasons.

The Millwall goalkeeper’s partner Juliet gave birth to their first child, Harry earlier this month. Then the 29-year-old Yorkshireman put pen to paper on a new contract with the South London club.

Long replaced Bartosz Bialkowski in the starting line-up in September and has only missed one Championship match since – the 3-0 win over Rotherham – when he was in a hospital waiting for the arrival of the new addition to his family.

Millwall had an option to extend the former Sheffield United and Hull stopper’s deal by a further 12 months. The club usually do not reveal the length of contracts, but Long’s extension runs beyond 2024.

“I’m delighted for it to be done,” he told the South London Press. “Most contracts do take a little while – from starting the conversation to getting signed they can usually take months.

“I’ve loved my time at Millwall since I joined 18 months ago. It’s been really enjoyable and getting in the team at the start of the season, helping us push up towards the top end of the table, has been great. I feel like my performances have been good as well.

“To get the contract sorted is nice, it gives you that stability that you know where you are at for the next few years.”

The decision-making process could have been trickier if Long had continued to act as back-up for Bialkowski, pictured below.

The Poland-born shotstopper, hugely popular with the Millwall fanbase, has also put pen to paper on brand new terms.

Long did not make a single appearance in the Championship last season and also started off this campaign on the bench, aside from featuring in the 1-0 EFL Cup loss to Cambridge United in August.

“It’s a completely different scenario from when you are playing to if you are not playing,” said Long.

“It’s difficult to comment on what would’ve happened or could’ve happened (regarding contract talks) if I wasn’t playing.

“It’s tough to think in retrospect, because that situation didn’t play out this season.

“My main focus at Millwall has always been to push hard and break into the team.”

Rowett told our paper this week that the Lions have two Championship-quality number ones on their books and Long knows the battle for superiority between the posts is far from over.

“Bart has been superb since he has been at the club,” he said. “He has been fantastic, even when he has been out of the team. That speaks volumes about a person – how they deal with coming out of the side. It’s a difficult thing to take, at times.

“It shows he is also a fantastic person. As a goalkeeping unit we’ve got a great set of lads and Marshy [Andy Marshall], the goalkeeping coach, is leading the way. As a unit we work really well.

“I’ve got to work as hard as I can in training and that always translates to the pitch on a Saturday. That’s always been my mentality.”

Long is on seven clean sheets this season and on course to break his best total – 11 while on loan at AFC Wimbledon in the 2017-18 campaign.

The 1-0 win at struggling Cardiff City on Saturday was his third shutout in the last four matches.

“I’m aware of my clean sheets, it’s what goalkeepers strive for, but every good team is built on solid foundations,” he said.

“Millwall have got a great track history over recent seasons of keeping clean sheets.

“We’ll be looking to continue being really solid at the back for the rest of the season. I’m sure we’ll be trying to rack up as many as we can.”

Long was solid again in South Wales, his handling and confident claiming of crosses helped hamper Cardiff’s attempts to dial up the pressure in the closing stages.

Tom Bradshaw’s 26th-minute opportunism settled the contest, punishing Cedric Kipre’s decision to try and let the ball run out of play.

“It was a massive win for us,” said Long. “It was a bit scrappy but Bradders nicked a great goal – just from his persistence to chase down. It was a bit of a lost cause really. He had no right to get there but ended up poking it in.

“A 1-0 win away from home is always nice, especially in that fashion when we’ve not played our best.

“The last 10 minutes were a bit of carnage when they added another seven minutes on. We knew we had to defend the box as best we can – they were just shelling it forward and sticking balls in left, right and centre.

“I managed to catch a few crosses in the second half. If it is there for me to come and catch, then I’ll do so. If you can take it cleanly then it kills the game a little bit.

“It’s a great feeling, if you’re winning to come and catch one. That’s five or 10 seconds of rolling around on the floor with it, that always wastes a little bit of time.

“It’s infuriating when the opposition are doing it and they are winning, so I suppose you’ve got to make the most of it.”

Long is thankful to Rowett for giving him a spell away from the club after Juliet went into labour.

“It was an amazing and surreal experience for me and my partner,” he said. “Harry arrived and he was healthy. We were so happy about it.

“The gaffer was very understanding and gave me a few days off afterwards as well.

“He said to me that it is most important that you’re there, supporting your family and being there for the birth. That was brilliant.

“It’s only missing one game. You’d do that every time, to be there for the birth of your child.

“I kept an eye on the score and saw that we were 3-0 up at half-time, so I knew it was going well and victory was sealed.

“When you’re in hospital the days blend into each other a little bit because you’re sleeping on a chair and all sorts.

“There was a spell of a few weeks where you’re waiting for the call anytime. The physios and doctor gave my partner their number, just in case. Fortunately I was around when she went into labour, that made things a little easier.”