Millwall struck gold with £900k Ipswich Town agreement | OneFootball

Millwall's signing of Bartosz Bialkowski from Ipswich Town was a masterstroke

Having survived by just four points in the Championship during the 2018/19 season under club legend Neil Harris, Millwall were looking to solidify their status in England’s second tier under their former striker heading into the next campaign.

Ben Amos, David Martin and Jordan Archer juggled their places between the sticks at The Den that campaign, as Harris sought to bring in a steady pair of hands that could nail down their place in goal for the foreseeable future.

In came veteran shot-stopper Frank Fielding on a free transfer from Bristol City, with the Englishman having fallen out of favour at Ashton Gate the previous campaign and was seen as the first choice at Millwall heading into the new year.

However, in his first home game in net for the Lions against Preston North End, Fielding picked up an injury after just 43 minutes and had to be substituted, a sequence of events that proved to be a blessing in disguise.

Bartosz Bialkowski grabbed his opportunity at Millwall with both hands

Replacing Fielding on the pitch was Polish goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski, who had signed on loan from Ipswich Town in the same summer Fielding had joined, and was thrown straight into the action somewhat unexpectedly but performed admirably, keeping a clean sheet on debut in a 1-0 win.

The Pole would first move to England with Southampton in 2006 and was largely a backup for the majority of his career, spending time with Barnsley and Notts County before his permanent move to Ipswich in 2014, where he’d play much more regularly at Portman Road.

Now with Millwall, Bialkowski was determined to make the starting berth his own, and how he did, as the once-capped Poland international would play every single league minute thereafter under Harris and then Gary Rowett for the remainder of the campaign, as he’d win the Championship Golden Glove in his debut season at The Den, keeping 16 clean sheets with Millwall finishing 8th in the league.

Millwall made his move from Ipswich a permanent one in January 2020 for a fee of around £900k, which, given how he would perform in goal for the Lions, was an absolute bargain.

The Pole would unsurprisingly retain his place between the sticks the following year, playing every single league minute once again under Rowett, with Millwall finishing 11th, as he’d once again win the club’s Player of the Year award, just as he did the previous campaign.

For the third consecutive season, Bialkowski made 46 Championship appearances yet again, despite now being 34, with Rowett keeping the faith in the veteran, and understandably so, with the Lions finishing on 69 points, just six points off 6th place Luton Town.

His fourth year in Bermondsey began with him once again starting in goal, though he would be dropped after a 2-0 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers and replaced by George Long, and would make just one more appearance that year, as his game time began to fizzle out.

With the late Matija Sarkic joining in the summer of 2023, Bialkowski retained his place as a backup option, though he performed admirably whenever called upon, as his five-season stay with the club came to an end. Still, he remains a firm fan favourite among the Millwall supporters to this day.

Bartosz Bialkowski had a lasting impact at The Den upon his retirement

Following his departure from the club in the summer of 2024, the Polish goalkeeper decided to hang up his gloves and call a day on his time as a professional footballer, but was quick to show his gratitude to Millwall supporters.

He told Millwall website: "I want to say thank you to everyone at the football club - fans, staff and players, as well as everyone who works behind-the-scenes. It's been an amazing five years.

"I still remember the day I joined the club! I've enjoyed it from day one - the five years have gone very quick but it is now time to say goodbye. I'm sure I will come back to The Den one day.

"I've had so many great memories working for this club, but my favourite one is probably the Charlton Athletic game at home, in which we scored the last-minute winner. We knew how important that was for everybody and the atmosphere, especially when we scored, was great.

"The fans have always been great with me and we've always had such a special bond. It's a sad time for myself but it's also the right time for everyone to move on. I look back on my time with pride and knowing that I gave everything.

"There have been ups and downs but the good memories will stick with me, such as winning the Player of the Season trophy back-to-back and winning the Golden Glove with the help of my team-mates - that was amazing.

"I wish everyone a world of success. I hope to see the club in the Premier League in years to come, where it deserves to be."

Having joined initially as a backup option, fate would have different plans for Bialkowski, as he quickly became an integral part of Millwall’s journey in the Championship, and a large reason as to how they cemented their place in the second tier.