What Macaulay Langstaff said when he first joined Millwall - He may not be so excited now | OneFootball

Football League World takes a look at the striker's initial message when he joined the Lions in the summer.

Macaulay Langstaff's next destination after an incredible first year in the EFL with Notts County was set to be one of the most interesting stories in the Championship last summer, with his 28-goal campaign attracting attention.

Millwall were the club that decided to take a chance on the forward, who had only ended his days in non-league football in 2023, with the South London outfit spending a reported £700k+ fee on the now 28-year-old.

After two incredible years in the East Midlands, it looked as though Neil Harris had secured a real coup, with the Lions looking to bridge the gap to those at the end of the second tier and push for a play-off place.

While they have had a season to remember in that regard, it has not been the year that many expected for Langstaff, and Football League World has taken a look at his initial reaction to moving to The Den, and what has happened since then.

Langstaff's original message to Millwall supporters was positive

After finishing 13th last season, their lowest league position since 2018/19, Millwall were looking for a new star striker to help score the goals to return to the top half - something that they have done so far.

Langstaff was identified as the player to do that, with his exploits in League Two and the National League with Notts County attracting plenty of attention as he jumped up two divisions to make his bow in the Championship.

It was a move that was extremely intriguing, as the former Gateshead ace had proven himself further down the pyramid, and with confidence flowing through him, he was excited to get started in the capital.

The deal went through on July 8, with Langstaff becoming Millwall's first signing of the transfer window, joining the club on a long-term contract.

Harris was delighted with the deal, and made a strong claim about his new striker to BBC Radio London: "He's absolutely natural, as natural as I've seen in any player in the Football League in the last five years, in my opinion.

"To be a Millwall number nine you've first and foremost got to have big character, good personality and a real work ethic – well tick, tick, tick on those."

Langstaff has struggled to get firing at Millwall

While his former manager backed him to continue finding the back of the net on a regular basis as he had done in the past, Langstaff has found it difficult to find that form once again.

Instead, he has been forced to watch on from the bench, and come onto the pitch as a substitute for the majority of the season with Mihailo Ivanovic and Josh Coburn instead being called upon to put the ball in the back of the net.

Alex Neil, who is now in charge of Millwall after Harris departed earlier in the campaign, has had to work with the 28-year-old to build up his fitness after injury, and he could still have an impact in the remaining games in 2024/25, but this seems unlikely.

The future is relatively uncertain for Langstaff, and a surprise promotion to the Premier League for the Lions could see his time at The Den come to a quick end.