GARY Rowett has backed Charlie Cresswell to keep his place in Millwall’s defence after putting in a string of consistent performances since coming into the team.
The centre-back scored his fifth goal of the season in yesterday’s 2-1 win against Swansea City, helping the Lions to move up to fifth in the table ahead of tonight’s Championship fixtures. It is the latest in a long line of impressive showings, having won NewsAtDen‘s Player of the Month for February as a result.
It hasn’t been easy for Cresswell, who struggled when he first arrived at The Den and soon fell out of the team and eventually the squad. He was linked with a January move away from the club, but decided that he wanted to win back his place, which is exactly what he did.
The 20-year-old came in to replace the injured Shaun Hutchinson at the start of last month and has since become one of Millwall’s top performers, keeping the club captain out of the team for a number of weeks. Rowett shared his admiration for the skipper, but added that Cresswell deserves to keep his place for the time being.
“I think he’s been excellent,” Rowett said after last night’s game.
“To keep Hutchinson out of team when he’s back fit, he’s done it because he’s worked so hard.
“I spoke to Hutch the other day. I think he’s been a hugely important player for us as captain for the team and for the club, but sometimes you have to be fair to players. It’s not just about winning games, it’s about being fair to people.
“If they’re playing well, they deserve to stay in the team. That’s what’s keeping the shirt is all about. Cressy has done that.
“He’s got a knack of finding the right moment. We’ve seen that in a lot of our defenders – Hutchy did it the first season here and finished on six. I think Muzza last year had about four or five. Cooper’s been pretty consistent. Scotty, I think, had six. Cresswell is on five, and that’s another lovely little knack to have.
“You need those goals to break the deadlock in a game like that. Sometimes you can be playing badly, score a goal out of nothing and it changes the whole part of the game.”
Photo: Millwall FC