Millwall could see the return of former academy prospect Zak Lovelace, who moved to Rangers at the start of the 2022/23 season.
The news comes after journalist Will Scott teased the possibility of a deal happening on his X account following Millwall’s 2-1 win at home to QPR on Saturday.
Who is Zak Lovelace?
Zak Lovelace is currently on the books at Rangers since July 2022. The now-19-year-old rose through the academy ranks of Millwall and made his debut for the club in December 2021 when Millwall beat Coventry City 1-0 away from home under the leadership of Gary Rowett.
Just 15 years old at the time of his debut and one month away from his sixteenth birthday, Lovelace’s contract came to an end at the end of that season, and he made the move to Scotland, signing for Glasgow Rangers on July 4th, 2022.
Millwall were disappointed to see Lovelace depart when he did.
When it was announced that Zak Lovelace had left Millwall, the club said they were “disappointed and saddened” on their official website and said that the club had “worked tirelessly over many months to convince Lovelace, his family, and his representatives that Millwall remained the ideal destination for the striker to continue his personal and professional development.”
Having made his senior debut and three more EFL Championship appearances that season, Lovelace looked set to play a lot more often in the following season before the youngster decided to move to Scotland, this being confirmed by the club themselves.
Would a Lovelace return be a good move for all parties?
Personally, I think yes, it would. He is still very young and still learning his trade; however, he has plenty of experience from his time at Rangers. From appearing in the Scottish Premiership to making an appearance in the Europa League, off the bench for the final 16 minutes of the game.
Just last Sunday, Lovelace came off the bench for Rangers on the 85th minute and assisted Rangers’ third goal of the game 1 minute later.
Also, it has been said many times recently with the successes of Romain Esse and more recently Ra’ees Bangura-Williams, but Millwall’s academy has got to be one of the most underrated academies in the country. Producing talents, not just like Esse & Bangura-Williams but also the likes of Samuel Edozie, Darko Gyabi, and the academy even featured Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze at one point.
Furthermore, the pathway between Millwall’s academy and the first-team is better than ever right now.
Therefore, if Zak Lovelace were to return to Millwall, he could continue to develop within the club’s academy system and also really benefit from that pathway between the academy and first team—and grasp the nettle with both hands when given first-team opportunities.
