LIFE WITH LIONS FANS SUITS ME
Conor’s salute to The Den faithful
YOU have to be cut from a certain cloth to thrive at Millwall – and Conor McLaughlin is convinced his team are made of stern enough stuff to make their mark in the Championship.
As the Lions returned to the second tier this term, following a two-year sabbatical in League One, McLaughlin pitched up and came along for the ride.
The Northern Ireland fullback made the move from Fleetwood a few short months after featuring in their unsuccessful play-off campaign.
The 26-year-old has established himself as a key member of Neil Harris’ back four at the Den, playing his part in an impressive defensive set-up that had conceded fewer league goals than any team outside the top six before the weekend.
As they implore their team to find their feet in the Championship once again, Millwall’s supporters remain as passionate and fervent as ever.
And, while some might shrink under the pressure of playing at The Den, McLaughlin wouldn’t have things any other way.
“They’re demanding, which fans should be because they’re paying money to watch us and support us,” said the former Preston academy graduate.
“Some games this season, the fans here have pushed us over the line because they’re that good. In the Leeds game, when we beat them 1-0 (in September), it was an unbelievable atmosphere to play in.
“It takes a certain sort of character. The fans are demanding, but rightly so.
“If a player’s not doing it, it’s right that they make their feelings known.
“Sometimes this season, it’s been unbelievable to play in front of. They give us something extra.”
McLaughlin’s first experience of the Championship arrived when he was just a teenager at Preston, with the defender making seven league appearances in the 2010-11 season.
Experienced
But it was at Fleetwood where he really made his name. He helped the Cod Army win promotion from League Two via the play-offs in 2013-14.
He came close to repeating the trick once again last term in League One, but Fleetwood were beaten by Bradford in the semifinals.
And, having now experienced the second tier in earnest, McLaughlin is focused on keeping the Lions right where they are.
“I’d been at Fleetwood for the best part of five years and I’d wanted to make the step up for a long time,” he added.
“Fleetwood were brilliant with me. They gave me a chance to play a lot of games and I had a lot of success there.
“I had a promotion and last season we were tipped for relegation but ended up in the play-offs.
“The main difference in this league is that, if you make a mistake, you’re more likely to get punished.
“First and foremost, we have to make sure we stay in it. As a newly-promoted team, that’s your first aim, really.
“But we’ve shown this season we can match a lot of big teams. We’ve beaten a lot of them already, but we just need that consistency to push us up the league.” Earlier this month, McLaughlin and Lions teammates George Saville and Shane Ferguson were involved as Northern Ireland suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 aggregate loss to Switzerland in the World Cup play-offs. Referee Ovidiu Hategan’s controversial penalty award ultimately proved decisive as McLaughlin and co missed out on reaching Russia next year. The 31-cap international added: “We’re disappointed we won’t be involved in a World Cup but hopefully now we can push on and have success with Millwall this season to fill that void.”