Millwall FC signing from Derby County could have been so much more | OneFootball

The forward joined the Lions originally on loan, before completing a permanent move later that year.

Mason Bennett's career has already been an extremely long one, despite the forward being just 28-years-old.

Now playing for Burton Albion, a club that he turned out for during the start of his career on loan, he is still playing semi-regularly in the EFL, 13 years after making his debut for Derby County at the age of 15.

Bennett spent the majority of his career with the Rams, and despite moving to other clubs temporarily throughout the first few years of his life in professional football, he finally got a proper break in the 2018/19 campaign under Frank Lampard, making 30 appearances in the Championship.

But following off-field problems the season after, the writing was on the wall for the attacker, and he was sent on loan to Millwall - a move that worked out perfectly at the time.

Bennett made a strong impression at Millwall

Bennett had played just seven times in the league for Derby at the start of the 2019/20 season, and with game-time an issue, the Lions came calling and took the then 23-year-old on loan for the rest of the campaign.

After recovering from injury, he finally made his debut for his new club in a 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic in February 2020, and then started two of the next three games, including a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in what proved to be Millwall's final match before lockdown.

He had linked back up with former Rams manager Gary Rowett at The Den, and he was settling in well, scoring twice in his final four appearances of the season, including a winner against Swansea City.

He returned to the East Midlands following the conclusion of the 2019/20 campaign, but Millwall were keen to bring him back to London, and he signed on a permanent basis, bringing Scott Malone with him, who joined on a season-long loan.

Bennett had a strong first full season

Despite his lack of goalscoring form throughout his career, in a settled environment, it was clear that the winger, who can also play as a striker, was enjoying his football once again.

He picked up from where he left off at the end of the previous season, registering two assists in his first three Championship appearances, as the Lions started well.

However, he found consistency in front of goal hard to come by, and it took until December for Bennett to find the back of the net, scoring against Bristol City.

Millwall were very hit-and-miss throughout the year, but their summer signing finally kicked into gear once again towards the mid-point of the season, and he fired in four more times before the campaign came to an end.

A lack of goals plagued the forward throughout his remaining years at Millwall

After his best year in terms of statistics, Bennett was hoping to kick on in 2021/22, but as he had struggled with in the past, his fitness became an issue, and he was often not as readily available as he would have liked to have been.

This was nothing new to Rowett, who had seen the Mansfield-born man have these difficulties at Derby, and he was still able to start 16 times despite these problems.

He scored three times for the Lions, goals that proved to be his last in the Championship for now, and it was clear that his time was coming to an end at The Den.

Bennett had signed a "long-term contract" with Millwall in the summer of 2021, but it was not going to be enough to ensure his future at the club. He went into the 2022/23 campaign hoping that his injury issues were behind him, but he once again missed countless matches.

The once promising wonderkid at Derby was falling out of favour with Rowett, and he was able to start in just seven games, coming off the bench in 14 others. A failure to score was proof that the level was one that was perhaps too high for him, and he was released, joining Burton in June 2023.