“We’ll work incredibly hard” – Millwall boss hints at plans concerning Sheffield United player

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has claimed the club will “work incredibly hard” to sign Oli Burke this summer if he is not part of Sheffield United‘s plans. 

The 25-year-old struggled to make an impact for the Blades in the first half of 2021/22 and spent the second half on loan at The Den.

Injuries hampered his effectiveness but Burke did manage 14 appearances for the Championship club, scoring twice and providing one assist, and certainly seems to have won over the manager.

The Scottish attacker is now back with parent club United, where he is under contract until next summer, and Rowett has revealed their stance on him will dictate Millwall’s approach.

Speaking to News At Den about the prospect of re-signing the 2022 January arrival, the Lions boss said: “Oli had a good time here last season. If Sheffield United decide that he’s not part of their plans, then of course he’s the type of player that we’d like to bring back in.

“It’s the level of player that we’d like to try and bring in this summer, and we’ll work incredibly hard to make that happen.

“It’s easy to look and say that we haven’t done much yet, but there’s been a lot of work behind the scenes that I believe will come to fruition in the next week.”

Stoke City striker Benik Afobe and Arsenal defender Daniel Ballard also impressed while on loan at Millwall last season.

Reports have claimed that the south London club have re-ignited their interest in Afobe but they appear to face significant competition in pursuit of Ballard.

The Verdict

Rowett clearly feels he can be the one to unlock the potential that Burke has.

The 25-year-old is not short of raw talent but has struggled to find any sort of consistency in recent years.

He did look fantastic in glimpses last