Millwall striker on unbreakable dressing room spirit – and dream would be to end playing days with Lions

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Tom Bradshaw has revealed his dream is to end his career as a Millwall player.

The striker, who turns 32 at the end of next month, activated an extra 12 months on his Den terms after playing a set amount of appearances in the 2023-24 season.

Bradshaw joined the Lions in the summer of 2018 and is only two matches away from 200 appearances for the South Londoners.

“I’d love to finish off my career here,” said Bradshaw, speaking to the South London Press just before the last campaign finished. “I don’t know how long my Millwall career will last – I’m here next season and still feeling really good.

“I’ve made it clear ever since I signed that I love it here. I’ve got a really good connection with the fans and my family are from the area.

“But I realise you don’t get contracts based off sentiment. It’s about how you are playing and whether you deserve a new deal.

“I think there’s a reason so many of the lads are here for so long. It has hit quite a lot of the lads hard that Bart (Bialkowski) is leaving, because he has been part of the furniture for years.

“But you could list six or seven who have been here just as long – Hutchy (Shaun Hutchinson), Coops (Jake Cooper), Lenny (Ryan Leonard) signed a week after me and Danny Mac (McNamara). Muzza (Murray Wallace) was here before me as well.

“Ever since I signed the feel of the changing room has been the same, even if personnel has changed. So many people have been here throughout my entire time here. There is that core feeling that the dressing room has always been great, whether we’ve had good seasons or bad seasons.

“That is why we have had such success as a club. This was a tough season – there has been so much change, which we’re not used to. There was the devastating news about John (Berylson). It’s been quite a turbulent year. Since Neil Harris came in (as head coach in February) he has brought that stability back to the club.

“I saw a stat that we had the most points in the entire league since he came back. Even in a season of adversity that special connection is not lost easily.”

Bradshaw netted 16 goals in 41 league appearances in the 2022-23 campaign – enough of a haul to see him finish sixth in the Championship goalcharts.

Last time around some niggling injuries ensured he missed 12 matches. Zian Flemming top-scored with seven while new recruit Kevin Nisbet was on five.

“It has been a frustrating one for me this year,” said Bradshaw.

“I haven’t had big injuries but they came at really bad times. I had my first one around October which set me back two or three weeks.

“At the end of December I’d scored two in a row and then I got injured in training.

“They were all – bar the calf and achilles one which was six weeks – just niggly ones at bad times.

“Part of the reason for that is that it has been the most change at this football club for a long time in terms of different managers and different styles – different player preferences.

“When Neil Harris came in it felt like the club just stabilised. Whereas possibly before that everything was changing and moving. That’s what probably made it a difficult season for people personally and also for us as a team.

“We’ve seen the rewards you get with stability – picking up those points since the gaffer came in.

“We’re still the same team with the same players who had lost six or seven in a row. It’s about confidence and stability – I don’t think football is that complicated.”

Harris has already talked about the striker department being a priority to strengthen.

Michael Obafemi has returned to parent club Burnley, leaving Bradshaw and Nisbet as the senior frontmen on Millwall’s books.

Asked about the prospect of increased competition, Bradshaw said: “It’s been the same every year since I’ve been a professional footballer. Goals win you games, along with clean sheets.

“Being a Millwall number nine is a taxing job and takes some time to get used to, physically.

“You’re never going to go through the season with just two strikers – you’re just not. There isn’t a team in the EFL that will go into the season with just two strikers.

“It’s part of the game. It spurs you on to keep trying to improve and gives you that target to keep reminding yourself you have got to be at your best and impress.”

Bradshaw’s next target is 50 career goals for Millwall. He is on 44.

“The vast majority of my goals have come at The Den,” he said. “Every time I go out there I believe I can score in front of our fans.

“I’ve got so many great memories out on the pitch there that I know I’ve got their full support and belief. That gives my confidence.

“Out of those 198 appearances, 120 were starts. I feel like during my time here I have scored fairly regularly.