Millwall: Alex Neil namechecks Preston North End in first words as head coach | OneFootball

Alex Neil has been appointed as the successor to Neil Harris at Millwall

Alex Neil has compared the current situation at Millwall to when he took over at Preston North End following his appointment as new head coach at The Den.

The Lions have confirmed the arrival of the Scot as a replacement for Neil Harris following his resignation earlier in December.

Neil has previously managed in the Championship with the likes of Preston, Sunderland and Stoke City, whilst also achieving promotion with Norwich City in 2015 through the play-offs.

The 43-year-old has been out of work since his exit from the Potters last December, where he oversaw 66 games before being sacked at the bet365 Stadium.

Alex Neil makes Millwall and Preston North End comparison after Lions appointment.

Neil has claimed that he sees a similarity between where Millwall are now and where Preston North End were when he took over in 2017 from Sunderland-bound Simon Grayson.

He believes the South Bermondsey outfit is a good environment without major issues, and that he now has a straightforward task ahead of him at The Den.

“I think it’s very much similar to when I went in at Preston,” Neil said, via Millwall's official Twitter account.

“I think that when I took over at Preston, it was a similar sort of situation.

“Going into a good environment, it doesn’t mean there’s huge problems.

“The team wasn’t struggling, and I had to go in and develop a style of play, maybe bring in some of the younger players through.

“I see this as a very similar project to what I did there.”

Millwall FC's Championship league position

Millwall are now 13th in the Championship table following the arrival of Neil as we head into 2025.

The Lions drew 0-0 with Coventry City in their final game of 2024, leaving them on 29 points from their opening 23 fixtures.

The gap to the play-off places is eight points, albeit Neil’s side hold a game in hand on their rivals for a top six finish.

Next up for Millwall will be a home clash against Oxford United on 1 January in a 1pm kick-off at The Den, in what will be Neil's debut match in charge.

Millwall play seven times in January, and will have the winter transfer window to be thinking about as well.

That means Neil will have little time to adjust to his new surroundings, and will have to hit the ground running if the club are aiming to keep pace in the battle for the top six.

He oversaw almost 200 games during his time at Preston, and kept them solidly mid-table throughout his time there.

If he can keep that kind of stability at Millwall, rather than the chaos he left behind at Stoke, then he’ll prove a solid, if unspectacular, appointment for the club.