Millwall may live to regret letting 20-goal striker move to Stockport County: View | OneFootball

This weekend saw Stockport County striker Tanto Olaofe hit a goalscoring milestone for the first time in his career, and it may leave his former club Millwall wondering whether they made the right call to let him go.

The 24-year-old netted his 20th goal in all competitions in County's 5-0 dismantling of MK Dons at Edgeley Park last Saturday, a tally befitting the improvements he has made on the pitch this campaign.

He joined the Hatters on the opening day of the January transfer window last year for an undisclosed fee, signing an initial contract that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

This season already represents Olaofe's most productive of his senior career, with games still to play, and he looks to be improving with each passing month.

Tanto Olaofe promise was always there

The second half of last season represented a relatively slow start for the former Millwall man in front of goal at Edgeley Park, hitting just three goals and two assists in 21 appearances, but that did include vital goals; netting in a 1-0 win against Rochdale in the final few games and scoring the opener in the play-off final second leg against Salford City.

A relatively barren spell in terms of goals saw him drop to the bench on multiple occasions and start in just 10 of the 20 games he was available for.

Millwall may have thought they'd got the best end of the bargain at this point, but even through those less productive stints, Olaofe was always an exciting watch.

Nobody, including seemingly himself in some of those early moments, looked like they knew what he was going to do next, meaning eyes were drawn whenever he got on the ball.

He possesses an explosive power that very few defenders can live with when he can keep the ball at his feet and plays at an intensity that leaves his opposing number with little time to think, which can force them into a mistake.

The missing link was composure in possession and a refining of his technique on the ball.

Olaofe address early issues with devastating impact

Whether it has been input from coaches at the club's training base in Carrington, extra work done by the player himself or just development through maturity and experience, something has clicked with Olaofe this season.

His technique in front of goal, as his 20 goals would suggest, has seen a marked improvement and that can be displayed no better than through his goal against MK last weekend.

For County's third, the pacey forward escaped from the Dons' last defender and cleanly plucked a bouncing Paddy Madden lofted ball out of the air, before a closely controlled rapid switch between his own two feet saw him shimmy past the goalkeeper and side-foot into an open goal.

It was the sort of opportunity that the Olaofe of last season may have squandered with a slightly looser first touch or a snatched effort in eagerness to get his shot off. The Olaofe of this season looks assured at the front of the attacking unit, something that is bound to come as a result of his increased exposure to League Two football.

He's lost none of his brilliant unpredictability, but he now knows how to make it count for so much more.

Millwall may feel they let Olaofe go too early

The Lions are currently just four points from safety in the Championship and have scored the joint-third fewest goals in the division. They may well be wishing they had a relentless frontman to chase down defences and overpower centre-backs, precisely what Olaofe offers County.

It was reported by South London Press on the completion of the deal that Millwall inserted a buy-back clause, but whether the value of that clause has not been publicly revealed, so whether it favours his former club remains to be seen.

Speaking to South London Press at the time, Olaofe said: "Never say never – that’s how I view it. It means they can still monitor my journey and progress while I’m at Stockport.

“I spoke to the gaffer [Gary Rowett] just before I left and he said I’m at an age now when I need to reach my full potential. He thinks I’m going to have a good career, but the most important thing that I need is games.”

A return to the Lewisham-born striker's hometown club will always have an attraction, but he now looks a settled figure at Edgeley Park, playing some of the best football of his career. It's also not inconceivable that County and Millwall compete in the same division next season.

It was reported that a loan offer from Barnsley was all but completed the summer prior to his permanent Stockport switch. The Lions may live to regret the fact the deal fell through, while watching Olaofe scoring for fun as County draw ever closer to them.