ALEX Neil discussed the message he gives younger players before playing them in first-team matches, following Millwall’s 2-1 win over Coventry City in the EFL Cup Second Round last night.
Neil named four players aged 23 or younger in his starting eleven, handing under-21s forward Jack Howland his first-team debut, while four of the players he substituted on over the course of the match were 21 or younger.
The youthful Lions ran out winners against the Sky Blues following set-piece goals from Massimo Luongo and Kamarl Grant either side of half-time, while Haji Wright’s late consolation from the penalty spot was not enough to prevent Millwall from progressing to the Third Round.
“In pre-season, they played a lot of minutes for us,” Neil said. “So it’s nothing new for them. They know how we play. They know how we want to perform. They know the areas they need to pick up. They know in terms of out of possession, in possession, all those bits.
“They train with us every day, that’s the bit that people don’t see. A lot of these boys that took the field today, they will train with us pretty much every day.
“But the message is go out, enjoy it, and show everybody what you can do. But more importantly, when do win at the end of it, that’s what it takes to win a first-team level game, which is really, really difficult because some of them are dead on their feet, cramping, they’ve sort of fallen over. But it’s a great feeling for them.”