BY RICHARD CAWLEY
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Ben Thompson has spelled out that he never wanted to leave Millwall in January – but a lack of game time would have reluctantly forced him to consider loan options.
The all-action midfielder has been linked on more than one occasion with a return to Portsmouth after a superb loan with Kenny Jackett’s team in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.
And Pompey were interested in boosting their League One promotion hopes by again temporarily adding Thompson to their playing ranks at the start of this year.
But Thompson’s acrobatic volleyed finish in the 3-1 loss at Forest in the middle of last month saw him rewarded with a starting spot for the following match, a 1-0 victory at Huddersfield Town. He kept his place for the next three Championship matches before coming off the bench to spark Saturday’s 4-1 thumping of Sheffield Wednesday.
Asked about the speculation over another move to Fratton Park, Thompson said: “There was always that in the back of my mind.
“But I said to the manager that I want to play at Millwall. This is my club. Next season will be my 10th year here. I want to play week in and week out at Millwall. Obviously he can’t guarantee that, but I want to play games. I’m 25 and in my prime, I feel like I need that. If he can’t guarantee me that then I’ll have to go elsewhere.
“It came towards the last week of the window and I had got back in the team and started playing, so that kind of squashed the loan move.
“I’m hoping to play more and more games for Millwall.”
There was debate about whether Thompson meant his spectacular goal against the Owls, which came just seconds after Scott Malone had netted in a move which had shades of Paul Gascoigne’s strike for England at Euro 1996.
So what is the honest answer?
“It was a shot-cross,” said Thompson. “I saw Ken [Zohore] ambling about in the box and Scottie coming in at the back post. I thought ‘I’ll hit it as hard as I can to either get it across goal or at goal’. It’s worked out perfectly.
“In terms of which of the two was the better goal, for technical ability I’m going Scott Malone.
“I think I finished Sheffield Wednesday off. It was a massive game for us – before it the boys knew how big it was. It was so, so nice and such a relief to get the three points. After that third goal we relaxed and played our football. You could see the freedom. It was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders.
“You don’t want to get too high or too low, just take it game by game. Anything can happen in football. There’s no reason we can’t go on an unbeaten run, like we did for 17 games when we finished eighth.”
Thompson’s impact as a half-time sub against the Owls surely nails down his starting spot at Reading tomorrow.
“I was gutted before the game to be left out and the manager knew that,” said the Lions man. “He normally names the team about an hour and a half before kick-off. But the manager had pulled me before to let me know I wasn’t starting and that he wanted to freshen things up.
“Everyone knows me – I love Millwall and I love playing for the club. To be left out is gutting, for any player. But I managed to get myself on the pitch and show what I’m about, not that he doesn’t know.
“I wanted to show why I deserve the shirt week in and week out. I don’t think I could have come on and done much more.
“The goal at Forest got me my starting place. It took a few weeks to get into the swing of things – you need a run of games to get your mojo back. I don’t think I had my greatest matches in the first couple. I grew into it, but the Cardiff and Norwich ones I thought I did very well.”
Thompson ended the match in Wales bandaged up after a clash of heads with City defender Curtis Nelson.
“I got a big gash on the back of my head – the doctor had to put a few stitches in,” he said. “My missus actually ended up taking them out on Sunday. You’ve just got to cut them with some scissors and pull them out. She wasn’t best pleased about doing it, but I made her!
“The only other injury I can remember I’ve had like that was when we played Southend years and years ago. I had cut my ear and needed it stitched up and drained.
“I still can’t wear earphones to this day, it’s just headphones for me, because there is still swelling there.”
Thompson is on 160 matches for Millwall and has made 24 appearances in all competitions this season – six shy of his total for the last campaign. when an ankle injury, sustained blocking a cross in a 1-0 win at Derby in December 2019, ruled him out for 16 league games.
Thompson has 17 months left to run on his Millwall contract.
He has come a long way from the youngster plucked from playing Sunday league football for Dartford in 2012.
“Millwall is my second home,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from different players and staff.
“It’s been an amazing time. I feel like the club is heading in the right direction. I’m just enjoying playing for the club I support.”
Danny McNamara, another boyhood Lions fans, signed his contract extension this week.
“He went to St Johnstone on loan and came back a man,” said Thompson. “He is Millwall through and through – a great lad. We speak on a daily basis.
“He has been outstanding – long may it continue.”
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