‘We have to continually keep moving forward as a football club – on and off the pitch’ – Millwall boss Harris on Championship restart

Neil Harris has talked about the importance of Millwall strengthening their squad options as he looks to build on their hugely positive end to the last Championship season.

The Lions start the 2024-25 campaign at home to Watford on Saturday.

Harris came back to SE16 as head coach in late February after Joe Edwards was sacked.

The club’s all-time record goalscorer, at the helm when Millwall won promotion from League One, oversaw a major upturn in form that pulled them clear of drop danger with fixtures to spare.

So far Millwall’s transfer activity – in terms of outfield additions – has been Notts County striker Macaulay Langstaff and Japhet Tanganga, who made a big impression on loan and was available on a free following his release by Tottenham.

“We rode the wave last year when I came in – the momentum, spirit, atmosphere,” Harris told the South London Press. “The confidence in the place was phenomenal and hugely enjoyable.

“Other than promotion-winning seasons you don’t get many moments like that. It was a wonderful time for us.

“We know the areas we need to improve as a team and that is obviously ongoing, to help us become that top-half team again that is trying to push for the promised [land].

“The factors that dragged us through last season are still there for us. We have still got a wonderful team spirit and culture at Calmont Road. We have still got a doggedness, a willingness and a desire about us to be better and also be difficult to beat.

“To be successful in the Championship you also need to have individual ability, pace and power. Goals from all over the pitch. That is the difference between the teams in the top six, top-10, top-12 and the rest now.

“We’ve had a wonderful pre-season, I’ve really enjoyed it and the lads have worked extremely hard. The application, attitude and the work put in is a pleasure to be a part of every day – but it is my job to always want more. It is my job to try and drag the club forwards this season and that is the demand in the transfer window, we need to step on to the next level, that can carry us through the first five months of the season until January and then we can look to improve again.

“For our football club, in the modern era and level we play at, we have to continually keep moving forward. We are with structure off the pitch – in staffing and facilities etc – but we need to make sure we keep moving forward on the pitch, because that’s what we want to do.”