Next Millwall manager: Lions ‘want’ talks with ex-Everton and Bradford City man as more ‘targets’ emerge

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Neil Harris has officially left Millwall following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough

Neil Harris has now left his role as Millwall manager following Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. The 47-year-old’s surprise departure was announced last week as he oversaw games against Sheffield United and Boro before officially stepping down.

Upon announcing his planned departure, the Lions said a recruitment process for his replacement was already underway. A number of candidates have been linked to the role - including former Coventry City boss Mark Robins and current Walsall manager Matt Salder. Two new names have reportedly entered the frame, with the Mirror reporting that Millwall want to hold talks with Steven Schumacher and Matt Bloomfield. Liverpool-born Schumacher enjoyed a 16-year professional playing career and came through the academy at Everton before moving to Bradford City. Crewe Alexandra, Bury and Fleetwood Town are among his former clubs.

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He first went into permanent management with Plymouth Argyle in 2021 and won the League One title in 2022-23, earning the third tier manager of the season award along the way. He joined Stoke City 12 months ago but after just 13 wins from his 32 games in charge he was sacked in September. Speaking in October, the 40-year-old admitted he still did not understand why he was dismissed by the Potters.

He said: "I don’t understand and I still haven’t had a full explanation on why I lost my job. [Sporting director] Jon Walters said he’d sit and explain stuff to me in a couple of weeks when things have died down, but as of this moment we still haven’t had that chat. In leaving Plymouth I knew I was going into a different type of environment and I understood the risks in going to Stoke City. They're a team who over the last seven or eight years have gone through a lot of change but I felt if we believed in what we did we could be the ones to turns things around."

He continued: "I know when some managers get sacked, they need that time out to have a breather but I haven’t come out of it thinking I need a break, if anything, it’s given me a bit more fuel and fire in my belly. My dream job is the Everton job, so this is going to give me more fuel to say right, I’ve got someone to prove wrong now."

Meanwhile, Bloomfield is currently in charge of Wycombe Wanderers, who he made 557 appearances for as a player. He was named League One manager of the month for November with the Chairboys top of the third tier - ahead of big-spending Birmingham City and Hollywood-backed AFC Wrexham. He took charge of the club in February 2023 and has won 49 of his 101 games in charge, drawing 22 and losing 30. Wycombe cruised to a 4-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town at the weekend to maintain their spot at the top of the table. Up next for Millwall is a home clash with Blackburn Rovers before a trip to Norwich City on Boxing Day.

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