JAKE Cooper has paid Tom Elliott a major compliment – comparing him to Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku.
Elliott scored Millwall’s winner against Aston Villa last Saturday week, his first Championship goal at The Den in over a year on his 11th Lions league start since his switch from AFC Wimbledon in the summer of 2017.
Former Leeds striker Elliott has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter since then, with club captain Steve Morison and Lee Gregory the preferred front two over the past three seasons.
But Elliott has started the last two league games, and as well as his goal he was a real handful for the Villa defence as he showed Lions fans how effective he can be.
“I think big T has got everything,” Cooper said. “You can see his attributes, he’s a big strong fella and can be so difficult to play against.
“I’ve even said to him he’s got everything that Lukaku’s got. He’s just got to score the goals and get the rewards he deserves.
“He’s a great guy and a great player to have in our team.”
Both Elliott and the other scorer against Villa, Shane Ferguson, were warmly applauded by fans when they were substituted, with a number of Millwall players also making it a point to acknowledge the pair.
Cooper added: “When someone hasn’t played that much but then comes in and does really well like you saw with Fergie, it’s great for him and great for the squad. It makes us even stronger.
“We want to get results and when players who have been out come in and do really well then why shouldn’t they be acknowledged for that.”
Image: Millwall FC