Zian Flemming breaks silence on Millwall exit after Burnley switch | OneFootball

The Dutchman left the Lions to pursue a new avenue this summer.

Zian Flemming has said that Millwall will always be a special place to him as his new club, Burnley, prepare to face the Lions this weekend.

On Deadline Day, the two aforementioned Championship clubs agreed a loan-to-buy deal for Flemming that would see him temporarily move to Turf Moor for this season, which will then turn into a permanent one in the summer.

Burnley have an obligation to buy the 26-year-old for a reported fee of more than £7 million, handing Millwall more than £5 million in profit on the player, who they bought for £1.7 million from Fortuna Sittard in the summer of 2022, as per the South London Press.

His new and soon-to-be old sides meet this weekend, but, because of the terms of the deal they struck on deadline day, Flemming will not be permitted to play against his parent club, something that he has said he would've wanted to do.

Zian Flemming on his Millwall departure

Flemming's career as a Lion may not have ended in the romantic way that he would have hoped, but he said that he will always look back on his time with Millwall - somewhere that he described as: "incredibly special," - fondly.

He told the South London Press: "Players constantly come and go from football clubs and I’m also one of those hundreds of players to do that.

"I spent two seasons at Millwall and what is that in a lifetime of a supporter? It’s nothing, really. But those two seasons in my life have been incredibly special.

"I just felt so at home – privately, in the squad with the lads and also with the fans. I come and go but Millwall is not a club that has come and gone for me.

"It will always be a special place for me and I hope the fans think the same way, the other way around. I don’t blame them if not – because of how many players come and go.

"The best way I can probably say it is that when I left I had mixed feelings. I knew it was a good move for my career, I was really excited to make the next step but, at the same time, I was sad because it meant my time at Millwall was now over.

"It happened so quickly (on transfer deadline day). All of a sudden it was over just like that."

Even though he was sad to leave The Den, Flemming admitted that the last season with the club wasn't a fun one for him.

"I would like to say I’ve enjoyed every bit of my time there but it is not 100 per cent true," said the 26-year-old. "I only find football fun when you are winning. When you are losing it is very frustrating. I can’t really take it very well.

"Despite that, fundamentally I’ve always been incredibly happy during my time at Millwall. I enjoyed living in London a lot and so did my missus – we had the possibility to have family and friends over and they enjoyed it.

"Regardless of the results, which were sometimes good and sometimes bad, we always had a changing room that made things better. The connection we all had made it special. If we were sat on the coach for five hours for an away game, I wouldn’t be bored or annoyed. You were with your mates.

"I really enjoyed it, apart from that second season when we were losing too many games and we weren’t where we should’ve been in the table. That always takes the happiness out of you a little bit."

The atmosphere created at The Den is one that tends to leave a mark on all the home and away players that grace the pitch. Flemming had a couple of years of having the crowd behind him, but he wanted to be able to experience it from the other side this season.

Flemming is planning on coming to watch the game, even though he can't be involved, and to say hello to some old friends from the club.

Zian Flemming should get a warm reception from Millwall supporters

Whenever an important player leaves a club, no matter how popular or unpopular they were at the time, there's always a risk that, when they come back to face that club, some sections of the fans won't be too pleased to see them, shall we say.

You can never know what reaction players are going to get, but, even if there are some at The Den who decide to boo him, hopefully it'll be drowned out by those who never got to say goodbye to him and show their appreciation.

He contributed more than just goals to Millwall. The financial benefits he has brought to the club, alone, should soften the blow at least a little bit for the Lions' supporters.

What he did in his couple of years in the capital should be greatly appreciated, and hopefully we will see that if he appears at The Den this weekend.