Macaulay Langstaff wants scoring record to be judged on starts – with first Millwall goal one of his favourite career strikes

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Macaulay Langstaff has scored 116 career goals but his first in a Millwall shirt is one of his favourites.

The striker, 27, has been highly prolific at Notts County and Gateshead but had to wait until his ninth appearance for the Lions to open his account.

Langstaff jumped from League Two to the Championship after his six-figure summer transfer to the South London club.

His recent elevation to a Millwall starting role has partly been down to injuries to Josh Coburn and Tom Bradshaw.

Langstaff provided the assist for Duncan Watmore’s opener in the 1-1 draw at QPR last month.

Then in Millwall’s next fixture he set up George Honeyman’s goal in a 3-1 home victory over Preston – the attacking midfielder returning the favour by assisting Langstaff for a close-range finish in the second half.

“There was a combination of emotions,” Langstaff told the South London Press. “The first was that you’re over the moon that you have scored in the Championship and got your first goal for Millwall.

“My goalscoring record has been really good and I’ve never really gone through a period that long without scoring. There was a bit made about it and the lads wanted me to get off the mark.

“You want to do it for yourself as well as the club and manager, who has put his faith in you. To do it at the Cold Blow Lane end as well, that’s even more special.

“Then there is a feeling of relief as well, that it has happened.

“It was an incredible feeling – it’s right up there with the favourite goals I’ve scored in my career because it is also about the level I’ve done it at, as well.

“I had full belief I would score. I’m a confident lad – I believe I can score goals at any level. But when you go a period without doing that, you need to prove to yourself you can still do it.

“Your first goals at a club are always good. If I look back at other favourite goals then my first one for Notts County was special. My first one in the Football League is also one of my favourites, even though it was just the fourth game of the season.”

Langstaff is quick to admit his first attacking return for Millwall – the cross for Watmore’s finish at Loftus Road, was a shot in the arm.

“One hundred per cent,” he said. “In my first league start, in the first half of an away game, I got an assist. I received the ball in a good position and it’s a decent ball across. Duncan scores and it settles you down – because I’ve contributed to the team.

“You come away with a good away point. I trained much better next week. I scored more goals in training and was more confident. I was training really well.

“Then you go into the next game and again, first half, you get another assist.

“Assists are probably the one thing I probably want more of. I’m an out and out goalscorer but it is nice to have some numbers in the assist column and I had two from my first two starts.”

Langstaff banged in 29 goals in League Two last season for County. Prior to that he struck 42 times in 47 appearances as they won promotion from the National League.

But he was a substitute for Millwall’s first five Championship matches – playing a total of 49 minutes in the first four of them – until he replaced the injured Coburn in the 1-0 loss to Luton in the first half.

“It’s obviously a big step up – I knew that before coming here,” said Langstaff. “It was a case of playing a few games and seeing how it went.

“You are training against some top, top players every day like (Japhet) Tanganga, (Jake) Cooper, (Shaun) Hutchinson, Murray Wallace and Wes Harding – all top centre-halves. So you know it is a step up, even in training, because they are some of the best at Championship level.

“It was a bit of a slow start. For the majority of the games I was on the bench and getting on for the last 20 or 10 minutes.

“Recently I’ve had a few starts and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m settling more and I’m quite confident because I’ve made some good contributions in the last few games. It is difficult coming off the bench – you’ve got to get up to the speed of the game. I think I got seven minutes against Bristol City. Then five minutes against Hull.

“It goes down as nine games before I scored – but if you look at minutes, it is a little bit different. On my second league start I scored. So judge me on starts, rather than off the bench.

“I would’ve liked to have got off the mark earlier but knew I would do once I got a run in the team.

“Being on the bench was a new experience, I last did it when I was a lot younger.

“The season before this one I started every league game but two, I think. The season before that – probably similar.

“So it is a different challenge and it is difficult. As a striker you need minutes on the pitch to get goals, as well as the rhythm and feel for it.

“Did I think it was going to take time? I did, realistically in my head, but you’re naive as a striker. You think ‘put me on – I’ll score goals’.

“But because of the level – and the way the manager wants to play – there is so much more to the game than just scoring goals. You’ve got to get used to everything else before the goals come.

“I believe if I’d started the first game of the season that I’d have got off the mark pretty quickly – but also I get why the manager didn’t.

“He wanted to be patient with me and it is a big step up.

“There is so much more to the game to learn. You have got to get all that right first before contributing goals.”

There was a big opportunity for Langstaff  in the fixture against Luton on September 14.

He was played through on goal but visiting goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski got enough of a touch with his right boot to deflect his strike past the upright.

“I’m probably the most self-critical player in the world,” said Langstaff. “I blame myself for everything so whatever happens on the pitch, I try and say: ‘What could I have done there?’

“Even that one I came away from it saying maybe I could lift it or go around him – but it’s all hindsight.

“Ultimately I’ve made a decent run, the ball has been played through and I’ve put the ball exactly where I wanted it to go – right in the corner.

“I’ve hit it cleanly. Sometimes when you are in a good run of form you hit that into the ground and it goes in or there is a little bit of luck, it hits the keeper’s foot and goes in the bottom corner.

“The keeper has made himself big and made a brilliant save.

“I was gutted afterwards. It was a big chance. I backed myself to score but I’ve got to give the keeper a little bit of credit.

“It was playing on my mind, probably until I scored.

“I haven’t over-thought it too much. Luckily it didn’t take too long to get the next one.”

Langstaff received a standing ovation when he was subbed off against North End. And he cannot wait to be back to The Den tomorrow against Derby County.

“I love it there,” he said. “The atmosphere is incredible. Even the song when you walk out – Let ‘em Come. My parents love it. My mum must’ve heard it on a video the other day and she said: ‘Oh, I know the words now and I can sing it’.

“Even if you’re on the bench, it gives you goosebumps. They sing it so loudly.

“You look at the Preston game – even Luton when we didn’t score – Sheffield Wednesday and Watford – we created so many chances. It is so enjoyable as a forward with the counter-attacking and attacking play we have produced. You know you are going to get opportunities.

“It’s different playing away, but when you are at home it is hostile and the fans make it difficult for teams to come there. Because of that you get that front foot, attacking football – that is what we’ve been producing.

“Getting a standing ovation was goosebumps.”