By Paul Green
NEIL Harris is happy his current 18-month deal is in everyone’s interests after rejoining the Lions from Cambridge this week for a second spell in the hotseat.
The club’s record scorer replaced Joe Edwards on Wednesday evening following a poor run of form which saw time being called on the former Chelsea coach’s reign after just four months in charge.
Harris agreed to return to The Den having been the boss between 2015 and 2019, during which time he led Millwall back to the Championship via the play-offs.
After penning a contract until next summer, the immediate challenge is to make sure the Lions don’t slip back into League One for the first time in seven years.
But the returning head coach has no issue with the length of his current deal, pointing out it suits all parties.
Harris explained: “It was a joint decision between me and the football club. I took over nine years ago and have been doing this (management) quite a long time, approaching 500 games now.
“I’ve learned a lot over that period of time. I want to enjoy it, I don’t want to be tied in for a long time.
“We can extend contracts at given moments when you are in good working relationships with people. It just seemed a sensible period of time.”
He added: “The club didn’t want me in just for three months – I didn’t want to come for three months, I wanted to look past the summer.
“But after that, for me, I just want to see where we are at next year. We all do.
“The football club needs support and stability today and I can provide and offer that.
“When we get to the summer transfer window, let’s see where we are at and then let’s see where we are again next Christmas time.
“Discussions can be had after that, but at the moment the length of contract is a little bit irrelevant to me because all I’m focusing on is Saturday if I’m honest.”
Harris’ decision to quit the club five years ago came at a time when things were just starting to go a little bit flat on the pitch, something he readily accepts.
Asked if he would like to stay beyond the present 18 months, the returning gaffer remained pragmatic but was keen to highlight the majority of his first spell had been an enjoyable experience.
“I don’t know, football changes so fast,” he said.
“I love working here. I did 12 years as a player, 18 months as a coach, four and a half years as a manager – and out of those 52 months, 50 of them were absolutely brilliant and priceless!
“In that last month or so, I was tired, fatigued and needed a change – and the club needed a change.
“There are no long-term thought processes past that 18-month period.
“It is purely just me here in the moment helping the football club, enjoying myself, working in an environment and a culture with people that I really like working with, and at a football ground I adore that has been so good to me over the years.
“Past that, we will just deal with it as we go.”
Harris also thinks his decision to move on in 2019 will have no impact on what happens now as Millwall attempt to stay up with 13 games to play.
He said: “That was four and a half years into my tenure. That was just the natural course of things.
“Four and a half years in my first job is one hell of a going. It needed change, it needed something different and the main thing is I felt the football club needed something different.
“That was my opinion. It wasn’t necessarily the board’s opinion at the time, it was my opinion.
“It was a strong decision to make at the time to walk away from a contract, but I thought it was in the best interests.
“The club think it is in the best interests for me to come back now, it is the right time for me and I’m in a good place.”
Harris added: “I feel like I’m ready to attack the challenge again of being here. I’ve been to and watched a couple of games and it seems that connection needs to be had again between the terrace and the pitch.
“I always managed to do it as a player and as a leader in the changing room and I managed to do it as a manager.
“It is a challenge to do it. I’m ready for that challenge and I look forward to that challenge.”
