Gary Rowett: Millwall manager has best squad since joining Championship club, he says

Gary Rowett has been Millwall manager since replacing Neil Harris in October 2019

Millwall manager Gary Rowett believes his current squad is the "strongest and most flexible" he has had since moving to the Championship club.

The 48-year-old signed a new contract at The Den this week after leading the Lions to a ninth-placed finish last season.

Millwall have signed Dutch midfielder Zian Flemming and Hull City's George Honeyman so far in the transfer window and have brought in Leeds' Charlie Cresswell on loan.

Striker Benik Afobe's loan move from Stoke has also been made permanent.

Fan favourite Jed Wallace, who scored 43 goals in 260 appearance for the club, moved to West Bromwich Albion after his contract ended.

And former captain Alex Pearce was also released by the club.

"When you lose key players, you're always looking to go down a slightly different pathway," Rowett told BBC Radio London.

"If you're trying to bring someone in to be that person then that's never going to work, so for me it's about moving forward in a slightly different way and bringing players in who can maybe bring in something we've been missing.

"We thought there was an opportunity to bring in a number of different types of players and probably create the strongest and most flexible squad we've had so far."

Benik Afobe scored 13 goals while on loan at Millwall last season

'New contract was very easy to get done'

The length of Rowett's new contract has not been revealed by the club.

The former Burton Albion, Birmingham, Derby and Stoke boss replaced Neil Harris as manager in October 2019.

He led the Lions to an eighth-place finish in his first season, before 11th in his second.

Millwall missed out on a play-off place on the final day of the Championship season in May.

"As a manager you look at the future; where the club's at, what we're going to do in the summer. I think it was very easy to get done," he said.

Bringing Afobe back a 'huge bonus'

Striker Afobe scored 13 goals in 41 matches on loan at The Den last season.

Rowett said the former DR Congo international, 29, has "shown he can do it".

"They're [strikers] not easy to find and they're very expensive," he said.

"For us to get him back is a huge bonus, when we thought he was moving on to a different club. It's another nice piece in the jigsaw."

Flemming, 23, signed a long-term contract as he completed his moved from Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard for an undisclosed fee.

"Zian is an exciting player I've been watching for a long time," Rowett explained.

"It's not often you get to sign that type of player for that level of money and I think that'll prove to be an astute one."

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