Millwall FC: Neil Harris would love repeat of January Sheffield United deal | OneFootball

After signing Ryan Leonard for only £1 million in January 2019, the right-back has become a nailed-on starter under Neil Harris.

After signing for Millwall in 2019 for a then-club record fee of £1.1 million, Ryan Leonard's time with the Lions has not always been easy.

Despite winning the club's player of the season award in the summer just gone, the midfielder-turned-right-back had only made 36 league appearances across the previous two campaigns due to injury. Knee and hamstring problems had kept the player on the sidelines for extended periods, only managing to start a total of 21 matches across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.

However, despite his injury woes, Leonard has racked up over 160 appearances for Millwall, as he now enters his seventh season with the club. He appears to be aging like a fine wine, having cemented himself as a favourite among fans and manager alike over the years. With a wealth of Championship experience and now an ever-present in the starting XI, we take a look at how Neil Harris will want to replicate a January coup which saw him sign one of the London club's most dependable players.

Ryan Leonard signs from Sheffield United

Leonard's acquisition by Millwall started with a successful six-month spell at the club on loan from Sheffield United. The versatile ace quickly established himself as an easy choice for new manager Harris, making a number of appearances before the loan's completion in January.

For a player who had been plying his trade with Southend United until the beginning of the year, he certainly made his mark at the Den, and so Millwall decided to secure his services for a record transfer fee. The £1.1 million purchase of Leonard broke the club's record expenditure for a player for the second time in a week, just edging out the £1 million signing of Barnsley striker Tom Bradshaw.

He racked up 37 starts for the London outfit in a season where they narrowly avoided relegation, finishing four points above Rotherham United to remain in the second tier. However, from the next season onwards, Leonard became incredibly injury-prone, suffering a horrific knee injury which kept him out from October to February of his first permanent season with Millwall.

Ryan Leonard managed to bounce back from injuries

The proceeding four seasons would prove difficult for Leonard. A plethora of different injuries saw his game time limited, as well as competition for the central midfield position seeing him moved out to right-back by manager Gary Rowett. An unconventional 3-4-3 formation favoured by Rowett meant that Leonard's versatility was to his detriment, as the utility man was often moved around the midfield, being deployed in both a holding and attacking role, while also being pushed out wide. Being shifted out of position and still battling injuries, you could have questioned if Leonard would ever reclaim a starting spot.

However, the new-look defender answered his critics. After overcoming his injury problems, Leonard proved his value to the club in the most recent 2023/24 season, where he impressed in the previously-tested full-back position.

It is clear, then, that Leonard showed genuine consistency throughout the season, something with which he had struggled due to injuries. He performed well across all defensive attributes, chipped in with two assists and was ever-present for the Lions. This led to him winning the club's player of the year award, with fans deeming Leonard the obvious choice for the campaign. Harris' return to the club has also instigated a period of stability for the Englishman, as he has continued to impress this season.

Ryan Leonard's transfer will be viewed as a bargain

Although a record at the time, the transfer fee paid for the player has since been surpassed, with Millwall's record signing now being attributed to the £3 million acquisition of 19-year-old Mihailo Ivanovic from Serbian club Vojvodina.

Across a seven-year stint at Millwall, it is fair to say that Leonard has had a profound impact, and at just over £1 million, will be viewed as a very shrewd piece of business pulled off during Neil Harris' first managerial tenure with the Lions.

Despite being plagued by injuries in the past, Leonard has recovered his fitness in time to forge some consistency during his remaining years with the London-based side, and signed a contract extension in the summer. With the January transfer window fast approaching, Harris will be looking to find a bargain equal to Leonard's signing, but he may be hard-pressed to find a player as committed to Millwall as the defender has been for so many years as he aims to bolster his promotion-chasing Lions squad.