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During the Millwall Lionesses media day, there was a lot of talk about pathways and progression into the first team. Unlike some, the London club meant it.
Following the demotion of the side which left them dropping from the English second tier into the sixth, the Lionesses have had to build from the bottom and have since got a number of new signings through the door, but this is alongside some exciting young players who have come through Millwall’s Regional Talent Club.
Brandon Prangell spoke to three players along with their manager Colin Reid as their season prepares to get into full swing.
Those players were defenders Elissa Stonebrook, Millie Connell and Midfielder Daniella Correa Colorado, all three players were looking forward to this step-up during the 2019-2020 campaign.
Defender Millie Connell whose also spent some time developing as a player for the Chelsea youth team tended to agree:
“Obviously we were playing junior football, this is a big step up as we are playing with more experienced players.”
While Daniella Correa Colorado was looking forward to learning from her new manager after making the transition:
“As young players, we are going to be able to adapt and learn from players that have the experience and the boss, we’ll learn new things that I have probably never known right now in my life as a young athlete.”
Their boss Colin Reid did make the player’s aware that there will be challenges ahead for the new girls:
“All of the girls have got that good experience these three have shown good ability typically they have adjusted to the tactical stuff, you know we are proud to have them and have them follow that natural pathway and they have got a big year ahead of them, in terms of the development and playing against players that are 15 possibly 20 years older than them maybe as well so that’s the challenge they face.”
Continuing on RTC technical director added:
“They will adjust it is a little bit of a shock to the system to suddenly look at where you have been playing girls maybe a year older and all of a sudden you are looking at people that sort of their faces that have got wrinkles and they have been around, they have seen them around and they are experienced.
“I said to the girls the only way you adapt to that is by playing against it, the thing that they have come back to me and said they have noticed that the tempo is quicker and the little bit of physical things that go on off the ball but I have said they will adjust to that in three or four years’ time they will be doing that and they will pass it on so hopefully these girls that are more experienced in the team will be able to help the girls adjust and they will adjust in time don’t worry about that it is quite frightening and daunting as a prospect but you will soon get used to it.”
Defender Elissa Stonebrook believes the best part of this season is getting noticed more:
“I think it’s getting more respect from players as they are all older and they respect you more being a younger one coming in and coming through and that they look after you more.”
While midfielder Daniella Correa Colorado wanted to show that they are good enough to make the step-up:
“As part of the community trust showing newcomers that they are able to succeed and maybe go up to a higher level just exactly like I have achieved at the moment.”
The experience for this upcoming season is an exciting prospect for the former Sporting Lisbon youth player as she supports Millwall:
“Being on the seats and watching the game is a different aspect to being on the field, the atmosphere is just different, I cannot wait to see what the atmosphere will be whilst playing on the pitch and I want to show people that I can be a role model girls, young girls that want to grow up and learn new things.”
Her boss backed up the idea of player’s making the step-up and saying that there is a unique opportunity for the young Millwall RTC player’s:
“I think that, that is important for people to see Millwall and particularly the RTC to see that there is a natural pathway so girls coming through and because of the opportunity and where we are playing at the moment that girls can go straight from the RTC and into the first team, which probably isn’t a possibility at most club’s unless you are an exceptional player so I think what Millwall lead the way in and we are quite unique in that while there is no development team this year we look to add a development team next year.”
Colin Reid stressed that the mental side of the game is also important for developing young players:
“The physiological side is very important because you can either sink or swim and I am saying to the girls when you go out there or are exposed to that don’t worry about making mistakes it’s more about how do you react to that and what do you learn from that what do you take from that and what do next time and I am confident in all three girls that they have got the physiological aspects to be able to deal with that.”
For other younger player’s that are on the brink of making the jump to first-team football the Millwall Lionesses boss gave a perfectly good way of looking at it:
“It is a big challenge, they will get used to it and it’s like and I try to relay the experience to them it’s like when you go to a new school or a new person at a club it’s a new experience but they will quickly adjust to that and once they realise it’s just another game of football.
“It will be quicker because you will need to do things quicker because you will get shut down quickly as people will be onto you quicker so you adjust to it and they will adjust and I have every faith in all three of them and you can come along and see them during the season and this time in three month time they would have grown.
“They are not the finished article and I will allow for that as they will find there feet and within two years’ time they will be naturals, there is not going to be many people their age that will be able to say I have got ‘x’ amount of game under my belt.”
The new Lionesses boss ended on a positive note:
“When you are playing in front of what do we get 200-300-400 maybe more once you have done that and when you go back to playing in front of six people and a dog it doesn’t have the same effect.
“The girls will adjust to it there will be nerves and but this experience will only be a good thing for the RTC, as these girls will have played in front of three or four hundred people by the end of the season, so that experience has helped them and that is what we are trying to do make a pathway, expose them to the things they are going to be exposed to when they go through and who knows maybe one day they these girls could be playing in front of England.”
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