Millwall boss: If I have longevity of Cardiff City chief Warnock I will be delighted

Neil Harris admits he would love to mirror the managerial record of Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock as he prepares to take his Millwall side to Wales on Saturday.

The Lions go up against a Cardiff side who are second in the Championship standings.

Former Crystal Palace boss Warnock, 68, has seven promotions on his CV. Harris, 40, led Millwall up via the League One play-offs in May.

“If you look at his pathway he has pretty much managed at every level and had success at every level,” said Harris. “It is testament to his desire and hunger.

“In terms of people to follow he is a great one. His record in the dugout is there to be batted against anybody and he is a good football personality. He gets players to love to play for him and is not shy to speak his mind and say some home truths in public.

“If I have his longevity I’ll have a really good career.

“I think the thought process in the summer would have been that Cardiff were an outside bet for a play-off place. They are a good, solid Championship side who have got some flair about them as well as some ability going forward.”

When asked how long he envisages managing, Harris replied: “I don’t really know, to be honest.

“What I do know is that I am thoroughly enjoying it at the moment. I’m very lucky to be at a club I know very well and a chairman who is very supportive. That is a huge bonus. I’m sure there are a lot who aren’t in that fortunate position.

“I’ve been in the game 20 years. The day-to-day role I fulfil now is very rewarding, it has been for two-and-a-half years.”

The pressures that come with management mean that everyone needs a release.

“I have routines I like to follow,” said Harris. “I like to leave the training ground at a sensible time to get home and have dinner with the family every night, if I’m not at games.

“I have little rituals where I avoid the phone for a period of time to spent time with my children. I make sure in the evening to switch off and not watch a sports channel. I’ll watch something completely different – a box-set – or read.

“They are things that work for me. It clears my mind and enables me to sleep through the night.”