Football Reporter
Millwall have a back-up option as they look to keep one of their talents long term.
Millwall have a failsafe in the contracts of one of their most promising players. Some Lions fans will still be feeling a little raw over the loss of Romaine Esse to Crystal Palace, with the Premier League Eagles prising away one of their best young talents in recent years.
The Lions have produced a good line of talent over recent times, and another of their talents is making an impact at senior level in Billy Mitchel. The 23-year-old has had injury issues this season, but he has returned to play a big part in Alex Neil’s plans, now racking up 17 appearances across all competitions to date.
Mitchel has started all of Millwall’s last four league games, and it looks as though he will remain a regular at The Den as Neil’s men pursue a playoff spot, or at the very least a top-half finish. The hope will be that Mitchel remains with the club for years to come based on his current form, but there have been concerns over the fact his contract is set to expire in the summer, giving him just months, while clubs outside England can already offer him a pre-contract agreement.
Though, Millwall’s relaxed stance over the contract has now been explained. According to South London News, Millwall have a club option to unilaterally extend Mitchel’s contract by a further year, giving them control over the midfielder’s future.
In the not too distant future, the club may yet decide to reward Mitchel with a new deal, but they don’t need to rush while concentrating on the final section of the season, given they do have that clause to fall back upon.
What has been said of Mitchel’s form?
Mitchel made his first start following injury during the FA Cup clash with Dagenham and Redbridge, with Lions boss Neil saying of his performance: “I thought they did fine. I thought Billy was industrious, I thought he was good, I thought he moved the ball well.
“I thought Adam went to get into some good positions. What he has got is pace and he can go outside and deliver a good ball. So I think we just need to make sure there’s more volume of that in terms of making sure we’re getting into good areas and put more quality in the box. But right across the board with all the lads I was really pleased tonight.”
Having become a starting regular since then, Mitchel has told Millwall TV in recent days: “We have put ourselves in a pretty comfortable spot for this stage of the season and that means, for the remainder of the games, we have got nothing left to lose. We can make sure we continue to do everything properly and just see what we can really achieve this season. There is no pressure now, so everything to gain.”
As things stand, the Lions are six points off the playoff spots with eight games remaining. When they return from the break, they have a tricky run of fixtures that could make or break their campaign.