Manager Neil Harris has said that Millwall’s homegrown talent should be given the chance to prove themselves in the first team and that’s what he intends to do between now and the end of the season.
With a number of players making the step up to first team action and getting a taste across the course of the season, Harris explained to the official site that he was looking forward to continuing that before the end of the campaign.
Sid Nelson, Jack Powell and Aiden O’Brien have all stepped up of late, and of course Fred Onyedinma and Jake Goodman are out enjoying successful and useful loan spells with Wycombe Wanderers and Wimbledon respectively, and Harris knows that keeping the production line open is important for the future of the club.
Jamie Philpot was in the squad and on the bench for the first time last weekend, and he explained.
‘We have got players who are coming through and who have performed consistently in what is reserve team football in a good standard League. Opportunities should be given to those players to prove their worth and stake a claim to play in the first team regularly. At the moment, with the likes of young Sid and Jack, we have young players coming through and they have performed all season at a good level. Opportunities for them will definitely come.’
With Philpot being the latest through, Harris says he has been performing very well in the under 21 set up and he does more than deserve his chance, and he will remain in his thoughts for our run in.
‘Jamie has done extremely well in the U21s. He is still a schoolboy and hasn’t finished his apprenticeship yet, but he has earned the right to be in that squad by consistent performances and by scoring goals. He fits into the style of play we’re using at the moment. He has played like that for the last two years within our Academy so the sooner we get him into the group – if he warrants it – the better for him and for the club.’
Vital Millwall on:
Vital Millwall on:
Harris – Youth Is Millwall’s Future
