Millwall loan ace Japhet Tanganga has spoken highly of life on loan at The Den and had an optimistic view of the club's chances for next season. Tottenham Hotspur sanctioned a new winter loan move for Japhet Tanganga in January following a challenging stint in Germany with Augsburg. Championship side Millwall snapped the centre-back up, marking the first time he has dropped below top-flight football in his senior career.
Tanganga has had some challenging times with injury in recent seasons but at The Den, the centre-back has rediscovered his best and enjoyed great run in the side under Neil Harris.
Image courtesy ofL JOHN SIBLEY/REUTERS. The 25-year-old has played 17 times for the Lions, playing the full 90 minutes in all of the last 13 Championship games and playing a key role in their rise away from the relegation zone.
Millwall boss Harris' return to South London has proven to be a masterstroke, and Tanganga had nothing but praise for the Lions legend.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Bet on behalf of The72, the Spurs loanee highlighted how Harris lifted the morale in the Millwall squad and got them playing to their strengths again following his arrival. He said:
"The gaffer has been great in terms of what he's brought in and made us realise what our strengths are, making us play to those strengths. Getting behind us, giving us the foundation and the confidence to go out on the pitch and do everything we possibly can to win a football match.
Latest Stories "He's come in and given the group that lift in terms of how he is around the training ground and changing room, his character.
"He's been phenomenal since coming in and you can see in the results, even at home with our home form, he's been good."
Image courtesy of: PETER CZIBORRA/REUTERS. After sealing survival, there's hope and excitement over what could be to come for Millwall next season. Such a strong end to the campaign has shown exactly what they're capable of, and Tanganga didn't want to put a limit on just what they can do.
"Honestly, it's a great group of lads and the coaching staff are great - if the season was going on for another month, we would have been climbing up the table even further," he said.
"If we can start how we finished off this season, for the start of next season, who knows what we can achieve. We can finish a lot higher than where we finish this season."
The season has ended on a high for Millwall and on a personal level, it's been a spell that Tanganga will take a lot of positives from.
The first half of the season was a tough one for him, joining Augsburg but never making his debut. As a player who has found regular minutes for Tottenham Hotspur before, his recent seasons haven't delivered what he would have hoped.
However, this Millwall stint has seen Tanganga leave injury problems behind him. That has allowed the London-born defender to get back to his best on the pitch.
"It's been very good to be back playing regularly," he said, highlighting how his loan has felt like a big success.
"It's what I wanted out of this loan, and that's what I've got, to play regularly and play as much as I can, ninety-minute games. It's felt good to be playing at a high level again."
What next? Speculation will likely circulate over what comes next for Tanganga once he returns to Tottenham Hotspur.
Ultimately, the aim will be for him to become a regular in top-flight football once more. He's proven himself at that level before and after some injury problems, this Millwall loan has reminded everyone what the former England youth international can do.
Image courtesy of: MATTHEW CHILDS/REUTERS. If the door does open for Tanganga to move on, expect there to be plenty of suitors.
He may well be out of Millwall's reach but regardless of where he takes his next steps, expect him to do so with the well wishes of the Lions' faithful behind him.
For the Championship club, they'll be looking to finish their season on a high with a result against Swansea City on Saturday. Harris' side can climb as high as 13th with a fifth consecutive win against the Swans, a seriously impressive finish given the trouble they were in upon his arrival.