Plymouth Argyle snub handed Millwall FC a hero of The Den | OneFootball

Jimmy Abdou became a Millwall legend after turning down a Plymouth Argyle contract offer

Championship club Millwall boast a proud history, but perhaps their finest moment arrived back in 2004, when they reached the FA Cup final as a second tier outfit, just three years on from lifting the third tier title.

Ultimately, the Lions lost out to Premier League giants Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium, courtesy of a goal from a young Cristiano Ronaldo, and a Ruud van Nistelrooy brace, which handed the Red Devils a 3-0 victory.

But supporters of the London club will never forget seeing their side reach one of the biggest occasions on the sporting calendar, which concluded one of the FA Cup's great underdog tales.

Meanwhile, one player who was not a member of the Lions' legendary 2003/04 squad, but is still deservedly celebrated as a Millwall hero, is former midfielder Jimmy Abdou.

Abdou's Plymouth Argyle snub handed Millwall a club legend

The ex-Comoros international enjoyed an illustrious career at The Den, which spanned a remarkable decade from 2008-2018, before he left to re-join French Ligue 2 outfit Martiques.

But prior to his Lions days, Abdou made 31 appearances for fellow EFL side Plymouth during the 2007/08 campaign, and scored one goal for the Devon club.

However, he declined a new deal with the Pilgrims during the summer of 2008, and opted to swap the Championship for League One, to join Kenny Jackett's lions.

While Abdou went on to spend a decade with the Lions, he had already created a piece of Millwall history within his first season at The Den, as he scored the club's winner against Leeds United in the 2008/09 League One play-off semi-finals, handing them their first ever appearance in a play-off final.

However, Jackett's side ultimately lost out at Wembley, as Scunthorpe United emerged as 3-2 winners, and secured promotion to the Championship.

But just one year later, Abdou and the Lions would return to the national stadium for yet another League One play-off final, and this time it was them who found their route to the second tier, as a Paul Robinson goal was enough to secure a 1-0 victory over Swindon Town.

The Comoros international then established himself as a key player at Championship level for Millwall, who stayed in the division for five successive seasons, before suffering relegation back to the third tier in 2015.

Abdou was named as the Lions' player of the year at the end of both the 2011/12 and 2014/15 seasons, while the second of those accolades demonstrated his ability to shine for an otherwise struggling side who went down to League One.

The midfielder went on to make 15 third tier appearances during the 2016/17 season, in which the Lions secured promotion back to the Championship under the stewardship of Neil Harris, thanks to a 1-0 play-off final win over Bradford City.

However, upon his club's return to the second tier, Abdou joined fellow London side AFC Wimbledon on loan, which is where he would play his last minutes in the English game.

The ex-Lions stalwart was a true servant to his former club at both Championship and League One level, but some of his most memorable performances came during the 2012/13 FA Cup campaign, in which Millwall reached the semi-finals as a second tier side, where they lost out to eventual champions Wigan Athletic, then of the Premier League.

Plymouth must have looked at Abdou's Lions exploits with envy

With over a decade of Millwall service to his name, the Comoros international proved himself as a thoroughly reliable and talented player at The Den, who even made successful Wembley outings with the club.

After he rejected the Pilgrims' contract offer in 2008, but was still proving his worth for the Lions a decade later, Argyle supporters must look at Abdou's career exploits with a strong hint of jealousy.

However, the Lions faithful will always celebrate the former Plymouth man as a club legend, who was a hero at both Championship and League One level, as well as in the FA Cup.