Exclusive: Millwall change predicted after signing Will Smallbone ahead of Birmingham City | OneFootball

Millwall were able to fend off strong competition to bring the midfielder on loan from Southampton

Lee Hendrie believes Millwall's loan signing of Will Smallbone from Southampton proves that the Lions are looking to operate with a different style of play under Alex Neil.

The South London side are in the early stages of the Scot's first full season in charge at The Den after he took over from Neil Harris in December, eventually seeing his new chargers narrowly miss out on a place in the Championship play-off spots on the final day of last season.

It had been an intriguing summer of developments in SE16 to say the least, with plenty of discourse surrounding the club focusing on the whereabouts of Japhet Tanganga - who has recently departed for Sheffield United - and prized asset Mihailo Ivanovic, with plenty of top-flight suitors interested in moves for the Serbian forward.

As a result, much of Millwall's business across the transfer window went under the radar, and it was a surprise to many when it was confirmed late on Deadline Day that Smallbone had moved to the club on a loan basis from newly-relegated Southampton amid prior interest from big-spending Birmingham City and Wrexham.

Lee Hendrie issues verdict as Millwall complete Will Smallbone, Southampton agreement ahead of Birmingham City and Wrexham

Smallbone has been on the books of Southampton since 2008, eventually progressing through the club's well-known academy ranks and into the first-team picture.

However, the 25-year-old hasn't featured as many times as he would have perhaps liked, with his Saints career somewhat blighted by injuries, as well as having a loan spell with Stoke City during the 2022/23 campaign sandwiched in between his 90 senior appearances at St Mary's thus far.

Despite being a regular in the Southampton side two seasons ago as the club made a swift return to the Premier League via the play-offs under Russell Martin - in which he scored six times and posted a further three assists - Smallbone was yet to feature under Will Still following the 32-year-old's appointment during the off-season, which led to question marks over his immediate and long-term future on the Solent.

Football League World exclusively revealed in July that Smallbone was valued at £8m by the Saints as they looked to offload him prior to Monday's transfer deadline, with Wrexham reportedly interested in his services in recent weeks, placing a £7.5m offer for the 13-time international.

Birmingham were also linked with a Deadline Day move for the midfielder, before he was announced as a Millwall player for the remainder of the campaign.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former Aston Villa midfielder Hendrie believes that this acquisition points towards some tactical tweaks from Neil given Smallbone's attributes, and that they have done extremely well to fend off the aforementioned high-profile competition.

"Will Smallbone. I think he's in a similar situation where he's probably not got the gametime (at Southampton)," Hendrie began. "I actually thought he'd kick on. He's had a loan spell (at Stoke) where I've liked what I've seen.

"Obviously, he's not fitting into the plans at Southampton. That's why other clubs have looked at him. You do feel that him going to Millwall, I wouldn't say he's a 'Millwall-style player', but you can see they're trying to change the style of play a bit more by bringing him in," he claimed.

"He's someone who can get on the ball and dictate the game from midfield.

"A good signing for Millwall, there's no doubt, particularly when the likes of Blues and Wrexham were sniffing around him," Hendrie explained.

It is clear that Millwall are looking to make some tactical adjustments under Neil, and the loan capture of Smallbone showcases that they are looking to become a side who dictate games and are always on the front foot, despite not particularly going away from their 'roots' as a high-energy, combative and physical side.

The new signing is someone who provides a mixture of all the aforementioned attributes, and will also bring the depth that was required following Billy Mitchell's recent quad injury.

Smallbone also fits the bill in terms of the type of player which Neil was clearly desperate to bring to the club, having also been previously linked with Andy Irving, Alfie Devine and Barry Bannan, all of whom provide strong technical ability from deep-lying midfield positions.