Millwall academy coach lays out the ‘vitally important’ steps they’re taking to unearth the next Ademola Lookman

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Millwall’s recruitment of non-league talent has been ‘so important’ in recent years, reflecting a strategic move to find promising players outside traditional academy structures.

That’s according to Kevin Nugent, Millwall’s academy coach, as the club has brought in several talented prospects who have taken unconventional paths to professional football in recent years.

When speaking to NewsAtDen, Nugent pointed to the example of Ademola Lookman at Charlton Athletic, who earned his opportunity after reaching out to clubs, eventually rising to become a “world-class player,” who now plays for Atalanta BC.

This success story highlights the potential Millwall sees in scouting the non-league pyramid, hoping to find similar talents.

Ra’ees Bangura-Williams illustrates the success of this strategy. Having become a regular first-team player in the past five months, his journey began at non-league Tooting & Mitcham.

Furthermore, current under-21 players Rafiq Lamptey, Jaiden Celestine-Charles, and Jet Dyer also have extensive experience below step two.

Kevin Nugent highlights ‘vitally important’ non-league pathway

The Lions have already found several very talented youngsters in non-league, and Nugent hopes that channel continues.

“The actual recruitment process itself is so important,” Nugent said. “Lucas Millgate is doing that as the emerging talent scout.

“He’s working so many hours looking at his videos, watching games, speaking to agents, speaking to different people to find those players, and he’s done really well on that one.

“It’s something that’s vitally important to the football club, and they are out there. I’ve got no doubt about it that they’re out there.

“Now, you might end up not getting some for a little bit, but they are there. With me as a coach, bring them in, let’s have a look at them, and we’ll see.

“You’ve only got to look at the example of Ademola Lookman at Charlton when he went in there.

“He’d been writing letters to different people, and they gave him a chance, and he got sold on. He’s a world-class player now.”

Millwall’s 2024/25 season and how youngsters made an impact

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
6	Bristol CityBristol City	46	17	17	12	59	55	4	68
7	BlackburnBlackburn	46	19	9	18	53	48	5	66
8	MillwallMillwall	46	18	12	16	47	49	-2	66
9	West BromWest Brom	46	15	19	12	57	47	10	64
10	MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough	46	18	10	18	64	56	8	64

Millwall’s 2024-2025 season saw them finish 8th place in the Championship, just three points shy of the playoff positions.

They lost out on the play-offs on the final day with a defeat against Burnley, with manager Alex Neil saying one thing at halftime to his players.

This near miss underscores the significance of finding those extra margins, which is exactly what academy coach Nugent emphasises in their non-league recruitment strategy.

As he pointed out, unearthing talents through uncommon paths can provide the spark needed to push a team forward.

This season, that strategy produced a significant breakthrough with Ra’ees Bangura-Williams.

His performances on the wing saw him make 13 first-team appearances, contributing crucial assists and even a debut goal in the FA Cup.

One player who was once humiliated during a Millwall FA Cup clash was Ben Chilwell.

His impact, earning him England Elite League recognition and a new long-term contract, shows the potential Nugent believes exists outside traditional academies.

While Rafiq Lamptey and Jaiden Celestine-Charles have yet to make the same first-team jump, their roles and goal-scoring contributions for the U21s demonstrate the persistent success of this recruitment route at the academy level.

As Nugent stated, the “important” recruitment process has a clear objective. It aims to identify those players who, like Ademola Lookman before them, might have been overlooked by traditional scouting networks.

Ultimately, this strategy is about potentially bridging the gap between a good season and one where playoff contention is a genuine possibility.