Gary Rowett makes admission over Millwall man’s future

Millwall boss Gary Rowett has told News at Den that he is open to the idea of offering Maikel Kieftenbeld a new contract. 

The 31-year-old midfielder is set to see his current deal expire at the end of the season and previously admitted that he hadn’t held any talks with the club over his future.

However with Kieftenbeld having performed well for the Lions recently, Rowett has now hinted that he would be willing to negotiate over the former Birmingham City man’s future.

Speaking about the situation recently, Rowett was quick to state the following about the midfielder:

“I’ve spoken about it, I think that every player that’s in the building will have an opportunity to get offered a new deal.

“And certainly if they’re in the team playing really well then that’s the best way to do it.”

The Dutchman has made 33 appearances for the South London outfit since joining them back in January 2021 and has been a big part of their recent performances.

He previously took in 183 games for Birmingham during his time at St Andrew’s.

The Verdict 

Rowett previously made it clear that the club would be looking to bring in younger players in order to develop them in the future, so this claim doesn’t really align with that mantra.

Kieftenbeld brings vital experience and knowhow to the table and has certainly been performing a lot better in more recent times, which could’ve turned Rowett’s head.

He certainly still has something to offer despite already being in his 30s, so it seems that there is plenty of positivity over a new deal being struck.

Only time will tell if the two parties will come to an agreement but the Lions would certainly be losing a good player for this level if he was to leave on a free transfer this coming summer.

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