Gary Rowett makes bold claim in regards to 28-year-old at Millwall | OneFootball

Gary Rowett spoke glowingly of summer signing Benik Afobe when he spoke to the South London Press.

The 28-year-old is currently enjoying a season-long loan move from Stoke City at The Den, and with his contract up with the Potters at the end of the season there may be longer term discussions taking place in the Millwall boardroom as January approaches.

Rowett made it clear just how high Afobe’s ranks in his estimation of Championship strikers.

He explained: “I think he is one of the best strikers in the division. He may not play for a team that create as many chances as some other strikers. But he is up there with the top players.

“He makes some really clever runs and sometimes we’ve just not had the subtlety of final pass to find him. A striker is only as good as his service. It’s not always easy, we haven’t got four or five really creative players. Against Bournemouth he showed what he can add to us. I want to see that more often.”

It feels like Millwall are forever tottering just outside the second tier play-off places but if Afobe can get back to the level he showed that earned him a Premier League move in 2016, then the Lions have a great chance of keeping the dream alive.

The Verdict

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Afobe has had a very rough few seasons on and off the pitch and therefore Rowett is taking the opportunity to try and build his confidence. The Lions have been desperate for a consistent goalscorer for a while now and Afobe coming in on loan from Stoke looked like an impressive piece of business.

The DR Congo international has scored four goals in the Championship this term, demonstrating in glimpses that he is still an accomplished striker at the level and one that should be competing towards the top end. It is not the most fashionable team to play for as a main frontman, the Lions are often very strong from set pieces and rely on defensive organisation to grab a foothold in games. Time will tell if Afobe can raise his game on a more regular basis.