MILLWALL have mutually agreed to part company with manager Gary Rowett.
The 49-year-old boss had been approaching his fourth year in charge at The Den but will now depart immediately after 196 games in charge.
The decision comes after an inconsistent start to the season for the Lions, with the club sitting 15th in the table but only three points off the play-off positions.
Rowett’s sudden departure will come as a surprise given his solid track record of mid-table finishes. The timing is also surprising, with the announcement coming towards the end of the international break and just days before Millwall’s televised trip to Preston North End.
Assistant manager Adam Barrett will handle first team affairs and he’ll be supported by first-team coach Paul Robinson. Barrett is expected to take training tomorrow morning.
Barrett also briefly served as caretaker boss before Rowett replaced Neil Harris four years ago.
A comprehensive search is now underway for a new boss in what will be the first appointment of James Berylson’s reign after he replaced his late father John as chairman in July.
Rowett took charge of the Lions on October 21, 2019 and was set to reach his fourth year as boss on the date of the Preston game.
He was the second-longest serving Championship manager after Coventry City’s Mark Robins and the eighth longest-serving head coach in the top four flights of English football.
The former Burton Albion, Birmingham City, Derby County and Stoke City boss had delivered league finishes of 8th, 11th, 9th and 8th during his time in charge, doing so with a budget that was smaller than many other Championship clubs.
Millwall repeatedly came close to making it in to the play-offs before faltering just before the finishing line.
Rowett split opinion among the fanbase and frustration over his style of play was frequently mentioned by supporters who opposed him.
This tension with the fanbase reached a head in August when travelling fans openly sang critical songs about their manager during a 3-1 defeat at Norwich City.
Rowett admitted after the game that he was hurt by the language used towards him.
The ex-Lions boss also had to oversee the club during the darkest period in their recent history when it was announced in July that beloved owner John Berylson tragically died in a car crash in America.
Millwall gave their popular chairman a long and dignified send-off, culminating in a pre-game memorial before they hosted Bristol City in their first home league match of the season.
Rowett’s last game in charge had been a topsy-turvy 2-2 draw with Hull City before the international break, with Joe Bryan equalising in the second-half.
That match also saw Rowett clash with Hull boss Liam Rosenior over time-wasting with Rosenior telling his opposition number to “shut up” towards the end of the game.
Rowett leaves the role with a win percentage of 38% having won 76, drawn 57 and lost 63 of his 196 games in charge.
After the trip to Preston on Saturday, Millwall host Blackburn Rovers at home, their first meeting with the Lancashire club since they dramatically beat the Lions 4-3 on the final day of last season to torpedo their play-off hopes.
Rowett is the fourth Championship manager to leave his post this season, following Neil Warnock at Huddersfield Town, John Eustace at Birmingham City and Xisco Munoz departing Sheffield Wednesday.
