NEIL Harris has joked the club haven’t appointed Jurgen Klopp as boss – but he insists he is a “different person” with a “completely evolved” knowledge of football as he retuned this week after more than four years away.
Harris was appointed head coach of Millwall on Wednesday after the club sacked Joe Edwards.
The Lions are just one point above the relegation zone after six defeats in their last seven Championship games.
Harris resigned as Lions manager in October 2019 after leading them back into the second tier at the second attempt, going close to the Championship play-offs in 2018 and reaching two FA Cup quarter-finals.
After leaving The Den, Harris took over at Cardiff City in November 2019 and led them to the play-off semi-finals where they lost to Fulham.
Harris was in charge of Gillingham from January 2022 to October 2023 and was appointed at Cambridge United in December. His last match in charge of Cambridge was their 2-1 defeat at home to Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday before Millwall made an official approach and compensation was agreed.
It means Harris will have managed in League Two, League One and the Championship in the same season after he is in the dugout against Southampton on Saturday.
“I’m still the same human being I was, I’m still caring. I’m still a husband, I’m still a father, still a son. I’m still the person the players can turn to in times of adversity. I’ve got that humility side to me,” Harris said on Millwall TV when asked how he had changed.
“But I’m a different character around the football pitch. When I was here last time I had only lived life as a Millwall manager. I’ve now spent 18 months in South Wales, spent time in League One, in League Two. I’ve watched a lot of people work, visited a lot of training grounds. I’m a different person, my knowledge of football has completely evolved.
“I’ve not changed my beliefs too much – all of a sudden Jurgen Klopp’s not walking in the building! But I am different now. I’m a lot more adaptable than I was. I leave Cambridge with a real heavy heart but even there in 11 weeks I learned a lot.
“I look forward to using that knowledge here.”
Harris will be familiar with a number of the squad. He signed Bartosz Bialkowski, Shaun Hutchinson, Jake Cooper, Murray Wallace, Ryan Leonard, George Saville and Tom Bradshaw. Harris also brought through Danny McNamara and Billy Mitchell, giving a debut to the latter.
Harris said: “I’ve watched this group develop over a period of time. A lot of the players I signed personally. I know we’ve moved on a few years since then but I know the mentality and capability of those individuals, what they can and can’t do, and it’s down to me to get the best out of them like I did previously.
“The new players that have come in I’ve seen a lot of as well, and there is some really good talent, from what I’ve heard some really good characters as well and maybe they just need harnessing in the Millwall way to be the best they can.
“I know a lot of the staff and how to get the best out of them. I know how to galvanise the football club – I’ve done it before and I can do it again.”
Image: Millwall FC