Former Hamilton Academical manager Alex Neil has been appointed as the head coach of Millwall on a "long-term" contract.
The 43-year-old Scot has established himself as a reliable option in the English Championship, having previously managed Norwich City, Preston North End, Sunderland, and Stoke City across the past decade.
He's been out of work since being axed by Stoke in December 2023, but had been regularly linked with a return to the dugout. He was recently a frontrunner for the Heart of Midlothian job prior to Neil Critchley landing the role.
Neil inherits a Millwall side who currently occupy 13th place in the second-tier standings after a goalless draw against Coventry City on Sunday.
His rein will begin when Oxford United comes to The Den on New Year’s Day.
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Neil, who has named former Ross County defender Martin Canning as his assistant in south-east London, was keen to emphasise his strong record when joining teams midway through a league campaign.
"The opportunity was a great one for me," Neil said on his arrival.
"I think it's very much similar to when I went in at Preston, going into a good environment.
"It's not as if there are huge problems. The team wasn't struggling and I had to go in and develop a style of play, maybe bring some of the younger players through, so I see this as a very similar project to what I did there.
"I've been into two clubs mid-season. I went into Sunderland mid-season and Norwich mid-season and both ended up with promotion. I'm not suggesting that's going to be where we end up but the point I'm making is that some coaches really need a pre-season to bed in but I'm well versed at taking over teams throughout the season.
"It's not going to be easy, it'll be a challenge but I'm confident that we can get short-term results and try to pick up a little bit of form between now and the end of the season."
Meanwhile, Millwall chairman James Berylson told the club website: “We’re excited to welcome Alex to the club. Having met with him over the last couple of weeks, I have really enjoyed his passion and energy for the role.
“We have a clear vision and strategy at the club that Alex is aligned with, and he has some really exciting ideas of how we can progress with those objectives and ambitions together across the entire club.
“All our support is there for Alex, and I can’t wait to see what he can do for us. I, alongside everybody at Millwall, wish him the very best as our new head coach.”
