AS a vital part of Millwall’s starting line-up, Murray Wallace has played plenty of football since the turn of the year.
Of course, that is the dream for any professional, but it also takes a toll on both your body and your mind. As a result, the international break came at the perfect time for the Scotsman, who had a chance to rest ahead of Millwall’s final eight fixtures.
“It’s been lovely,” he told NewsAtDen. “I managed to go up to Scotland for a couple of days. My sister got married, so I got to see a lot of my friends and family.
“Then, obviously, I’ve been in training for most of the week. I got to see some more friends and family over the weekend. It was great.
“I think February was so busy. It was similar going into March.
“The international break came at a good time, especially with April going to be a busy month.
“I think it’s what everybody needed, both physically and mentally.”
The mental aspect will be vital in the run-in. Staying focused from a psychological viewpoint can be the difference in making the top six or falling at the final hurdle, and Wallace knows just how big a challenge that is going to be.
“I think that’s obviously going to be key, you don’t want to be thinking that you’re coming to the end,” Wallace said.
“We want to go all the way and go as far as we can. With the likes of some of the lads coming back from injuries, you always get a boost with players who have been out for a while. Obviously, they haven’t had the game-time but they’ve been doing the recovery.
“It’s always a boost to have those faces back in.”
Manager Gary Rowett discussed the run-in this week but stressed that the players would only be thinking about today’s clash at West Bromwich Albion.
“I think that’s the best way to be, to approach it like every other game,” Wallace said.
“Obviously we want to win every game. I think if you prioritise certain games over others, you can lose focus on those other games. That can have a bit of a negative effect.
“You take each game at a time and do your best to win them all.”
The reality is that Millwall have adopted that approach all along, not just this season.
Wallace believes that their steady attitude is down in large part to Rowett, who has improved how the club is run both on and off the pitch, with the results clear for all to see.
“I think we’ve been closing the gap on the teams finishing in the top six throughout my time here,” Wallace said.
“We’ve been doing that by bringing in the right players. Since Gary’s come in, it’s taken time to get a full squad of his players and the sort of team that he wants.
“You can see the sort of team that we’ve got – a really talented group of lads, who are also hard-working. I think it’s a really great mix.”
Nonetheless, the Championship run-in will be nerve-racking for Millwall fans, but Wallace is certain that he and his team-mates will be able to stay calm regardless of the circumstances.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “Personally, I think everybody would love to be in this position.
“Obviously, I’m super excited about it. I think, to be going into the end of the season with such high pride and the chance to be promoted to the Premier League, that’s what everybody wants.
“We all know that, to make it into the play-offs, it can be any four teams. It could be any of them that go up. Obviously, we want to put ourselves in the mix and give ourselves the best chance.
“I think everybody’s excited but also really focused and concentrated. It’s not going to be an easy job, we’ve still got some tough games to play.
“I think everybody’s got that concentration, and we’ll do what we need to do to make it.”
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