Gary Rowett has his say on competing with ‘mega money’ clubs in the Championship

Gary Rowett admits it was a ‘horrible feeling’ to see a place in the Championship play-offs slip through his fingers at Millwall – but he is determined to see positives in the bigger picture.

Millwall stayed around the top six through the season and seemed sure to have booked their place as they went 3-1 up at home to Blackburn Rovers by half-time on the final day. But a second half goal from Joe Rankin-Costello to make it 3-2 was followed by a brace from Stoke fan Ben Brereton-Diaz that made it 4-3 to Blackburn.

The scoreline meant that Blackburn leapfrogged Millwall in the final table and Sunderland, who won 3-0 at Preston, pipped them both into the play-offs

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Rowett had reached the play-offs with Derby County in 2018 before a summer move to Stoke City, where he was given a chance to reshape the squad but only survived half a season as a promotion charge failed to materialise.

Now he could start next season as the longest-serving manager in the division if Mark Robins wins promotion with Coventry. He has been in charge of Millwall since October 2019 and, starting with an against-the-odds top half spot in his first term, has gone well into the 60s for points four times in a row to finish eighth, 11th, ninth and eighth again.

“I still see this period as continual progress,” he told South London Press.