Millwall boss will be watching Sheffield United’s trip to QPR – and hails ice-cool Stoke loanee Benik Afobe

Millwall supporters will be taking a keen interest in events at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium tonight – and the same applies to Gary Rowett too.

Sheffield United occupy the sixth and final Championship play-off spot and head to west London three points ahead of the Lions going into the final two matches of the season.

But if the Blades were to lose at QPR – ideally shipping a few goals as well – it would improve Millwall’s chances of overtaking them.

Rowett said: “I don’t read too much into it. I’m not sat there berating a team if I want the other team not to win. You watch it as someone actively involved.

“While you want the results to go your way, you can’t control it – so it doesn’t really matter.

“I’ll watch Friday with interest. While it would make it more difficult if certain results happen, I still think we have to go out there and approach our game with a view to winning it. Then we see what happens and where we are.

“I don’t think we can control any of the other factors. If Sheffield United go and win on Friday then good luck to them, because they have taken care of their own business. What we’ve got to then do is try and score a few goals in the process.

“It’s too late to work out all the permutations.”

Benik Afobe’s penalty – in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time – salvaged a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City last week. It was the Stoke loanee’s 12th goal of the season in 39 appearances. He was ice-cool considering the high stakes.

“That takes a lot of bottle – Benik was brilliant,” said Rowett. “Going up at the stage when all your team-mates, staff and fans, he was right in front of the away end, are desperately hoping you can score. You are then the man.

“I’ve only ever done it once in a play-off game and it  is not a nice feeling, it’s nerve-racking – you feel like there is a lot to lose. But people like Benik, that is when they step up and actually relax.

“Speak to a lot of strikers and when they get those big chances they actually embrace those. I don’t think there are many players who could step up and slot that away in such a relaxed manner in our squad, that’s for sure.

“For us to bring in a player on loan who has not done as much in the past couple of years as he’d have liked, for reasons that a lot are out of his control, probably some people would have criticised the signing.

“But if you look at it he has been a really successful signing. He’s had a big impact on our season and is our top-scorer. I believe still, because I know his quality, that he should have had more – and I said that to him on Tuesday. He should be on 15 at least now.

“That would put him in with the top strikers in the division. Benik has got better and better. If we’re in a position to keep him next season, I think he’d get better again. His confidence is soaring and he’s looking more and more relaxed around the team.

“He can score goals that some of the others wouldn’t score as naturally as him. He’s a really nice guy and fits into the group.”
Afobe has another year left to run on his terms at Stoke and Rowett says it is too early to discuss his future.

“I’ve had conversations with some of the players and some I haven’t. If someone has had an impact on your season, much like we’ve talked about desperately trying to keep Jed [Wallace], in some ways he is no different. You’re talking about nearly 20 goals between them.

“It’s very difficult to let that slide and go and replace it very easily. We want the players focused on the job in hand but we will sit down at some point and see where we go in one or two areas. Benik is not our player, so there will be a lot of things out of our hands.”