Millwall has named Alex Neil as their new head coach on a “long-term” contract.
The 43-year-old Scot, who previously managed Preston North End, Sunderland, and Stoke City, was last in charge of the Potters but was dismissed just over a year ago after taking the reins in August 2022.
Neil, renowned for leading Norwich City to promotion from the Championship in 2015, succeeds Neil Harris, whose second spell with the Lions concluded earlier this month.
On Sunday, Neil was spotted in the stands at the CBS Arena as his new team secured a goalless draw against Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.
The result kept them 13th in the table.
Millwall’s director of football Steve Gallen said Neil was a head coach with “proven methods” and “exciting ideas”.
“Ultimately, Alex has an excellent track record in the Championship for results and development of young talent, as well as many other attributes that we feel confident will drive us forward as a club,” Gallen told the club website.
Alex Neil’s first match as Millwall head coach will be a home fixture against Oxford United on 1 January.
The Lions were 11th in the Championship and on a four-game winless streak when Neil Harris, who returned in February for a second spell at the club, announced his departure earlier in December.
Since then, Millwall have delivered mixed results, ending Blackburn Rovers’ six-game winning streak with an impressive performance before falling 2-1 to Norwich City on Boxing Day.
Neil inherits a mid-table side that has managed just one win in their past nine Championship games.
With a track record that includes guiding Norwich City to Premier League promotion via the play-offs nearly a decade ago, Neil left the Canaries in March 2017 following their return to the Championship.
He later spent four years at Preston North End before departing in 2021, leaving the club 16th in the table.
In 2022, Neil took charge of Sunderland on a short-term contract, achieving promotion from League One via the play-offs.
However, he departed for Stoke City early in the subsequent season. His 16-month tenure with the Potters ended in December 2023, with the club sitting 20th in the league.
Martin Canning, who previously collaborated with Neil at Stoke and Sunderland, has joined Millwall as assistant head coach.
Neil has drawn parallels between the challenges at Millwall and those he faced when he took over at Preston in 2017, expressing readiness to tackle the task ahead.
“The opportunity was a great one for me,” Neil said on his arrival at Millwall.
“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.”