Millwall boss Neil Harris on his players’ stretcher goal celebration and his demand for them to be fit to play
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Millwall manager Neil Harris has praised his attacking players for shrugging off knocks to play in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Hull City.
Lee Gregory had sat out the previous fixture at Bristol City with a stomach muscle tear but returned to head his eighth goal of the Championship campaign.
And Aiden O’Brien, stretchered off with a knee injury last time out, also started and drove home an excellent strike at The Den.
Club captain Steve Morison has made himself available despite an ongoing hamstring niggle in recent weeks. Tom Elliott, who had an injury to the same muscle, came on as a second-half substitute at the weekend.
After O’Brien scored his team-mates lifted him off the floor, beckoning for a stretcher.
But Harris admitted that the quartet’s willingness to put their bodies on the line could see them miss training at the beginning of this week ahead of the long trip to Preston North End on Saturday.
Asked about the goal celebration, Harris replied: “It was a little bit of dark humour towards Aiden – coming off on a stretcher with a blanket over him at the weekend and then scoring six days later.
“Aiden, Lee, Tom and Steve, in the last few weeks, have put themselves up to play.
“I demand they have to be on the training pitch 48 hours before the game. They responded and got themselves out there. I might not see them now for a couple of days, because of it – but it was important they got out there and all contributed to the game.”
Morison has certainly pushed himself through knocks and niggles during his time at Millwall.
But Harris, the club’s all-time record goalscorer, doesn’t believe it is a regular occurrence for a player.
“The majority of the time you are 100 per cent,” said the Lions chief. “You are out there at your best. You might have a cold, or something like that during the winter months. But the majority of the time you are at your best.
“There are a lot of players, especially foreign ones, who if they are at 95 per cent then they won’t put themselves available.
“That’s what I don’t understand. Because you can play at 95 per cent and still be very, very good – still be effective in the game and do a job for your team.
“During my time in charge my demand to my players is for them to be out on the training pitch, ready to play and to train. They are giving it a go. If there is a concern afterwards then I’ll take responsibility.
“That’s what we have a medical department and sports science department for, to get them in the best possible shape.
“But if someone has got a head cold, they are going to put themselves out there to be available to play. If they have got a bit of tightness somewhere, they should make themselves available to play.
“That’s what players do – all the time.”
IMAGES BY BRIAN TONKS
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