NEIL Harris has commended his players' "monumental" efforts in securing Championship safety - and urged them to now play with more freedom.

Victory over Sunderland last weekend saw Millwall mathematically lift themselves clear of the relegation scrap with two games remaining.

Harris replaced Joe Edwards in February and has managed 20 points from his 11 matches in charge, enough to stop the club tumbling into the third-tier.

Neil Harris is making plans for the final two games of the season. Image: Millwall FC The 46-year-old praised his squad's efforts and wants to see them play with the shackles off against Plymouth Argyle and Swansea City.

Harris told NewsAtDen: "We've had four wins out of five at The Den, we have six wins out of 11, we have 20 points out of 11 games... it's a monumental return by the group of players. We want to keep that rich vein of form going into next season. We want to finish on a positive.

"A sold out Den at home is a brilliant place to play as we've seen over a number of years. I want the players to enjoy it and embrace it.

"I've asked a lot from the players over the last eight weeks and been extremely demanding of the group and extremely passionate with the players at times. I want to do the same on Saturday before the last home game of the season but I want them to go out and enjoy themselves. I want to them to experience the atmosphere that there's going to be."

Harris said he has enjoyed the few days since the Lions returned from the Stadium of Light.

The result appears to have brought some calm to a club in a campaign that has been unpredictable and volatile.

The Lions head coach said: "I have to be honest, it's been a lot more relaxing couple of days. The emotion after the game was one of huge pride in the players in responding to the difficult situation.

"You can look at the bigger picture and say we were disappointed to be in the position we were in with three games to go. The football club would have liked to have continued the vein of the last nine years of improving every season.

"But you have to accept sometimes that there are going to be bumps in the road when you're doing that so as long we can finish on a positive, sixteenth place and upwards, it would be acceptable on the back of the last two months. And as long as we keep moving forward as a football club we'll be moving in the right direction for sure."