Jamie Shackleton eyes repeat of Leeds United success and takes 'comfort' from Millwall team-mate

The Kippax lad’s Championship switch was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon as the Whites announced that Shackleton will spend the 2022/2023 season on loan at the Den.

After finishing six points shy of the play-offs last season, the Lions have been recruited smartly this summer and Shackleton is the fifth signing through the door at the South London side.

He follows young United defender Charlie Cresswell, who has also penned a season-long loan deal, and the Leeds duo will work under Millwall boss Gary Rowett until May 2023.

Hoping to gain more game time at the second-tier side, Shackleton is looking forward to his new challenge.

"I’m delighted to be here, the whole process took a little bit longer than I would have liked,” Shackleton told the Millwall website. “I wanted to be here as quickly as possible but ultimately it’s done now and I’m delighted to be here.

"I spoke to him [Rowett] a couple of times before we realised that was the right decision for everyone. I got a good feeling, already starting to build a relationship up.

“It definitely helps that Cres [Cresswell] is here and settled in. A familiar face gives you a little bit of comfort – but so have all the other lads, they’ve made me feel like part of the team straight away.”

When asked what Millwall fans should expect from him, Shackleton didn’t hesitate to set a bold target for the Championship season, which begins with a home fixture against Stoke City on July 31.

"I like to get stuck in, get around, cover as much of the pitch as I can and help out as much as I can, tackling, recovering the ball and moving forward with it,” he said.

“I played in the Championship with Leeds, we had a good season that year, managed to get promotion and that should be the aim again this year - to do that with Millwall.

"I can’t wait. It’s going to be an experience – I’ve played away at Millwall before and the atmosphere is pretty good so I can’t wait to be in the home end.”

Lions boss Rowett, meanwhile, is excited to exploit the 22-year-old’s versatility.

"Jamie is one we've been aware of for a couple of weeks," Rowett said. "He's a great addition for us. He has bags of energy and good experience for a 22-year-old.

"He's played well over 50 games for Leeds and now he'll be looking for more regular gametime - a lot of those have come through impacting the game late on.

"He's got great energy. The beauty for me is that he is a player who offers you energetic, non-stop play in the middle of the pitch. That's his best position, in my opinion, in one of those three midfield positions - either the two deeper ones or the number 10. However, he's also played at right-back and right-wing-back in the Premier League, so he offers flexibility."