Millwall’s Tom is Brad to the bone – Forward is feeling love from fans

BY DAN MARSH

Millwall striker Tom Bradshaw picked the perfect time to break his goalscoring duck last weekend as he brought up a century of appearances in perfect fashion for the Lions.

Bradshaw’s quickfire brace was enough to cap a rousing fightback in last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Stoke City at The Den – nudging Millwall into the top 10 and level on points with fifth-placed Luton.

Those goals have been a long time coming for the diligent striker.

Bradshaw’s time in SE16 hasn’t been plain sailing – but you wouldn’t be able to tell from talking to Millwall’s number nine.

With Bradshaw’s infectious enthusiasm, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Lions striker has only just walked through the door at The Den.

But he’s now one of the team’s longest-serving players following his move back from Barnsley in 2018.

It’s taken Bradshaw almost six months to find the net again since his strike in the 4-1 win over Bristol City in the penultimate game of last season.

But it was definitely worth the wait for the Shrewsbury-born hitman. “It was a great day,” said the 29-year-old forward this week. “To get the two goals and help the team was brilliant.

“It was nice to get the win at home because we’ve had a couple of good results on the road, so to bring that form back to The Den and give the home fans something to cheer about is a great feeling.”

Bradshaw seemed to have host of strikers seemingly ahead of him, with the summer signing of Benik Afobe.

But the number nine has muscled his way back into Gary Rowett’s plans after spending most of last season on the Den periphery.

He has fought his way back into contention – and that’s the traditional Millwall way.

Bradshaw credits his recent good fortune to a change in his approach. “A lot of footballers are the same,” he said. “You can get into your own head a little bit and overthink football. It’s really easy to think into things too deeply, really.

“At the end of last season and this year, I’ve just let that go a little bit. I’ve gone out there with this idea: ‘I’ve been a professional for 12 years, I know how to play the game and what my strengths are and my weaknesses.’

“I’ve just tried to go out and enjoy it. I aim to not just react to how the game is going, but to have the belief that whatever happens in the game that I can deal with it and play instinctively rather than trying to think things through.

“That’s helped me to free myself to show what I can do and enjoy it a bit more.”

This approach as paid dividends for Bradshaw, who has earned plaudits from Rowett and Lions fans for his full-hearted displays this term despite failing to find the net.

“I’ve been pretty pleased with my performances this season,” he said. “The only thing that’s been missing is goals. Any striker will tell you, regardless of how well you play, if you don’t score, you feel something was missing from your performance.

“It was nice to have both of them on Saturday – to play well and have the goals.

“Important goals, to me, feel and mean so much more. When it helps the team pick up three points, those goals feel different.

“When the first one went in, it was brilliant. But when the second went in as well and we were leading it was a really, really great feeling.

“To do it in front of my family as well made it really special.

“I really felt the love on Saturday from the whole fan base and everyone inside the club. And my family did too, actually. They really appreciated all of the positive feedback and support that I’ve been given.

“I felt like a lot of the fans appreciate the effort that I put into games for the team and for them too.”