Connolly move a 'no brainer' for Millwall - Neil

Aaron Connolly began his career with Brighton and made 45 Premier League appearances for the club

Signing forward Aaron Connolly from Sunderland was a "no brainer" for Millwall, says Lions head coach Alex Neil.

Republic of Ireland international Connolly's move to The Den was announced shortly after Tom Bradshaw's exit to Oxford United had been confirmed on Thursday.

Connolly, 24, joined the Black Cats from Hull City in the summer but only scored two goals in 11 appearances for the club.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Championship fixture against the Tigers, Neil said it was "fair to say" Connolly had not played as much as he would have liked at the Stadium of Light.

"With Tom leaving we needed to get in a replacement, we needed to make sure we had competition for places and Aaron became available on a short-term deal," he told BBC Radio London.

"It made sense - [they have] similar profiles in terms of a striker who can take the ball on; stocky, quick over the ground over the first five-to-10 yards, got a goal in him, so from our perspective it was a bit of a no-brainer.

"Hopefully Aaron can come in and hit the ground [running] between now and the end of the season."

Neil said he thought Connolly would "certainly be available" for selection against Hull after the player came through 120 minutes in Sunderland's extra-time 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Stoke City.