My time at Millwall gave me a great education in what was needed to succeed in the English Football League. Millwall is a tough, no-nonsense club and in my seven years there I think I grew tremendously as a person and learned a lot.
A highlight for me during my time at The Den was reaching the FA Cup final against Manchester United in 2004 in what turned out to be my last game for the Londoners before signing for Everton. If was the club’s first ever FA Cup final and I was truly honoured to have played my part in the history of Millwall Football Club. Playing against Manchester United also meant that the club qualified for a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time which was massive for the club.
I was lucky enough to score the winning goal against Sunderland at Old Trafford, a goal which earned us a place at the Millennium Stadium for the final. Friends still remind me of my goal celebration that day – stripping off my top and tearing down the touchline at full pace in a mad jig of delight! I have been told that I polled over 100,000 votes to win the FA Cup “Player of the Round” for the semi-final against Sunderland, a figure that still humbles me to this day. That day, Sunday 4th April 2004, I scored the goal that put me in the spotlight for the first time in my career as a professional; it was a strange sensation, being the centre of attention, and certainly something which I had never experienced before.
I had a great time at Millwall; you could get up to all sorts of mischief with the lads and there was a great bunch of us when I was there! The fans were awesome to me at Millwall and the atmosphere they created, both at home and away, was absolutely incredible and I cannot thank them enough for showing such great support and faith in me during my seven years. I was obviously nervous when I moved to the club and they embraced me right away and made me feel so comfortable in their presence.
I left Millwall on my own terms after that fantastic cup run in 2004. I had always hoped that I would help the club get promoted but we were part of a very tough league and it never quite happened for us. I ended up making a total of 241 appearances for The Lions, scoring 58 goals, which, if I may say so myself, is not a bad return for a midfielder!