Millwall hit the jackpot by beating EFL clubs to non-league sensation: View | OneFootball

Millwall will be delighted they managed to win the race for a striker from non-league.

Highlights

When Millwall announced that they had signed a striker from a non-league club in the summer of 2014, nobody could have predicted how well he would do for the Lions.

Striker Lee Gregory joined Halifax Town from Mansfield Town in 2011, in an attempt to kick-start his football career in non-league.

The forward turned out to be an outstanding signing for The Shaymen. He scored 31 goals in 38 appearances during his final season with the club, helping them reach the play-offs in the Conference Premier at the end of the 2013/14 campaign. Unfortunately, they were beaten in the semi-final by Cambridge United.

Gregory's goal-scoring record at Halifax attracted the attention of several clubs, with several scouts taking an interest in the Sheffield-born forward during that season.

Lee Gregory's form at Halifax Town attracted interest from throughout the EFL

Bradford Cityreportedly had a bid of £75k rejected in January 2013, while League One side MK Dons made an approach to sign Gregory at the end of the season.

Huddersfield Town and Barnsley were also keen on the striker, while scouts from Wigan Athletic, Derby County and Cardiff City watched him during the play-off semi-final against Cambridge.

It was believed that a fee in the region of £200k would be enough to sign Gregory, and it was Championship club Millwall that eventually sealed the deal for an undisclosed fee in June 2014.

Millwall supporters will look back and be thankful that they were the club that managed to sign Gregory, as he continued his goal-scoring exploits after his move to The Den.

Lee Gregory scored goals for Millwall

Gregory scored eight goals in the Championship during his first season at Millwall, including a hat-trick in the final home game against Derby, as the Lions were relegated to League One.

The 2015/16 season was a real breakthrough campaign for Gregory in the EFL, as he scored 26 goals in all competitions. Millwall were beaten 3-1 by Barnsley in the play-off final after finishing fourth in League One.

The following year, Millwall returned to Wembley to face Bradford in another League One play-off final. Gregory had scored 18 goals that season and bagged a brace in a 4-3 win away at Bristol Rovers on the final day to secure a play-off place. The Lions won 1-0 and achieved promotion back to the Championship, with Gregory providing the assist for Steve Morison's late winning goal.

He was part of the Millwall team that reached the quarter-final of the FA Cup in 2017, beating Premier League opposition in Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester City on their way to the latter stages.

The 35-year-old scored 76 goals and provided 28 assists in 238 appearances for Millwall, becoming a real fans' favourite and helping the club return to the second tier after suffering relegation in his debut campaign.

He went on to play for Stoke City, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday after his departure from The Den in 2019, winning another League One play-off final with the Owls in 2023. He will spend this season in League One with his former club, Mansfield.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and Millwall will be glad that they won the race for the non-league sensation in 2014, as they got to enjoy Gregory's prime years and he regularly delivered for them at important times.