adminMillwall FC complete loan signing of ‘box-to-box: Irish international midfield maestro
MILLWALL have signed Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone on a season-long loan.
The 25-year-old becomes the Lions’ tenth signing of the summer.
Smallbone came through the Saints’ academy and broke into the first team in the 2023-24 campaign, making 43 league appearances and scoring six goals as Southampton were promoted via the play-offs.
The Irish international has previously played under current Millwall boss Alex Neil, joining Stoke City on loan in the 2022-23 season and starting 38 league games.
“Will is a very good player – an experienced central midfielder with real quality,” Millwall’s director of football Steve Gallen told the club’s website.
“It’s a position we’ve been looking at throughout the summer, exploring both permanent and loan options to find the right fit.
“The lads who’ve played in that area have done really well, but with a couple of injuries in midfield, we knew we needed to bring someone in to strengthen that area.
“Will is a current Republic of Ireland international who has played in both the Premier League and The Championship. He’s strong, technically good, gets around the pitch and offers that box-to-box presence we were looking for. He ticks a lot of boxes.
“He’s actually someone we didn’t think would be available, but we stayed patient and were able to bring him in on deadline day. We’re really pleased to have him with us.”
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