Millwall want to keep best players – Neil

According to head coach Alex Neil, Millwall does not intend to sell any of its present players and expects Japhet Tanganga and Mihailo

Ivanovic to stay with the team this summer.

Neil claimed he did not give the rumours much thought, despite the fact that both players have been linked to moves away from the

Championship club.

Murray Wallace, Aaron Connolly, George Saville, and George Honeyman have all left the team this off-season.

Goalkeeper Max Crocombe from Burton Albion has joined the Lions, and Josh Coburn and Zak Sturge’s loan deals from

Middlesbrough and Chelsea, respectively, have been made permanent.

Neil responded with “I hope so” when asked if Tanganga, who made 43 appearances for Millwall in all competitions the previous

season, will still be present for the team’s Championship start against Norwich City on Saturday, August 9.

“At this time, I don’t believe anything indicates otherwise for us.

“I know there’s a lot of speculation, as there always is, whether it be Japhet, or Mihailo [Ivanovic] or anybody else, there’s little bits

that are doing the rounds,” he said on BBC Radio London.

However, in order to keep our top players, we’re concentrating on becoming the best versions of ourselves.

“We’re not gullible. We have no intention of selling anyone. This season, we want to develop and advance.

“But equally, if somebody comes in with offers that are way beyond what we would maybe have on a valuation of a player, then certain

decisions may well get made.”

Sturge a ‘really good young and upcoming left-back’

At the end of the previous season, Sturge, 21, made five appearances while on loan from Chelsea.

He has committed to a “long-term” deal, and Neil thinks he can offer Joe Bryan fierce competition at left-back.

“He broke in towards the tail end of last year and I think with every game he played he gained confidence, he gained understanding,”

Neil stated.

“He trains hard, is athletic, has good manners, is good on the ball, and is a great guy.

“I believe we’ll attempt to increase his exposure to the game and help him gain more knowledge and expertise with it. And I believe

we’ll have a pretty good young and promising left-back when he puts those pieces together.”

Millwall signed Coburn in a club-record deal from Boro after the striker formed a strong partnership with Ivanovic and scored five

goals in 21 games last season.

“He’s got different qualities and strengths to all the other forwards we’ve got. He’s more of a target, he can take the ball on, he can

score a goal, he can run,” Neil said.

“Our job is to try and help him put his game together in terms of his link-up [play], his timing of his runs, his effectiveness in front of

goal, and I think when he does that he’ll be a real force to be reckoned with in the Championship.”

Neil stated that Millwall intended to add more players before to the start of the season next month.

He cautioned that regardless of their ability or the amount of money invested to get them to the club, every player would have to earn a

spot on the squad.

“The relationship is 50:50. We will put forth a lot of effort to help you grow; we will teach you methods and focus on your technique.

And they must provide the remaining 50%,” he continued.

“No one is given a free pass. We signed you in an attempt to improve you, therefore nobody makes the squad.

“Your duty is to show up every day, do your best, and give it your all. Although that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll do well in every game,

we won’t bring you in and then throw you out after one or two poor performances.”

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