The Millwall manager Neil Harris will step down from his role for a second time after Saturday’s Championship game at Middlesbrough.
The former Lions striker returned to the Den as manager in February, more than four years after resigning from the role, and led the Championship side away from relegation danger. Millwall currently sit 11th with 25 points after 18 matches – just six points outside playoffs. The club said a “mutual decision” had been taken for Harris to leave after taking charge of Wednesday’s match against Sheffield United and the game on Teesside.
Harris said in a letter published on the club website: “This isn’t an easy decision, as everyone knows this club is more than a job to me, it’s my club, and always will be. Being here always felt like home, as a player, as a captain, and as a manager. We are a family, and it’s been my life for so many years. But I always said when I returned that I would leave when the time felt right, and now is that time.
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“Coming back last season and all the highs that came with it will never be rivalled. It was one of the highlights of my career. We fought together as a team, as fans and as a united football club. We have some special characters in this team. They are dedicated and hungry to do well. With the right encouragement and support, I’m sure they can achieve great things.
“I would like to thank all the staff at the club for their loyalty and support and especially the owner James Berylson, for welcoming me back. He’s been superb to work with, and I will always be grateful for the great friendship we shared. We have the most passionate fans in the country, and your support has meant the world to me. We are often misunderstood, but the uniqueness of Millwall is also what makes us so special.”
Harris, Millwall’s all-time leading goalscorer, led the club to promotion from League One during his first stint as manager, which ran from 2015 to 2019. They had been on a nine-match unbeaten streak in the Championship until Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Coventry, a result that prompted Harris to speak out at the more critical elements of the club’s fans.
“People have to get their head out of clouds and realise we’ve done well to achieve what we’ve achieved so far and how tough it is for us as a group,” he said. “You miss Romain [Esse], you miss Japhet [Tanganga] and you miss Jake Cooper. Three players that probably get in anybody’s Championship team. So just a reminder to people, the thickos, that when you take the three best players out of the team that this is Millwall Football Club.”
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The Lions said in a statement that their “interim management plans following Neil’s final match on Saturday will be confirmed in due course”.
