Meet the opposition | Millwall
As Swansea City prepare to face Millwall, we take a closer look at the Lions.
What's their story?
Millwall are in their ninth-straight season in the Championship having secured their place in the second tier via the play-offs in 2017.
They have been mainstays of the second tier, having spent just two of the last 13 campaigns in League One.
The Lions haven’t been in the top-flight of English football since the 1989-90 season; the closest they have come to a return was when finishing just outside the play-offs in 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025.
They famously reached the 2004 FA Cup final, but were beaten 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium by Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.
How's their form?
Millwall have had an up and down start to the new season, but picked up a first home win of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Watford in midweek.
Their away form has been impressive, with seven points gathered from trips to Norwich City, Sheffield United and Charlton Athletic.
Who’s the gaffer?
Alex Neil. A former midfielder, Neil was appointed Lions boss in December 2024, replacing Neil Harris and leading them to the brink of the play-offs.
He had previously been in charge of Stoke, but departed the Potters in December of 2023.
Neil started his managerial career at Scottish side Hamilton Academical in 2013, having skippered them when former Swans assistant Billy Reid held the managerial reins.
He went on to be appointed as player-manager on an interim basis and led the club to promotion back to the Scottish Premier League in his first full season in charge.
Neil took charge of Norwich City in January 2015 and enjoyed a phenomenal first few months in charge, leading the Canaries to promotion to the top-flight with a play-off final victory over Middlesbrough.
However, their time in the top-flight lasted less than 12 months as they suffered relegation the following season.
He left Carrow Road and was appointed as Preston manager in July 2017 and had the Lilywhites challenging for a play-off spot for the majority of his time at Deepdale.
He departed the Lancashire club in 2021, and a year later took the reins at Sunderland to guide the Black Cats back to the Championship via the play-offs.
Who's the captain?
Towering Bracknell-born centre-half Jake Cooper has been a crucial figure in defence for Millwall for a number of seasons, and has taken over as club captain from Shaun Hutchinson having skippered the side on a number of occasions previously.
Cooper has a remarkable 393 appearances to his name since joining from Reading and is an effective presence in both boxes.
His consistency and durability were underlined by a run of playing every minute of 136 consecutive league games between August 2018 and December 2020.
Cooper had come through the academy ranks at Reading, joining the Berkshire club at the age of 14 before progressing to the senior ranks.
An impressive loan spell with Millwall in 2017 paved the way for his permanent move and he has been a stalwart ever since.
Who are the key men?
Young Serbian striker Mihailo Ivanovic was Millwall's top scorer last season with 12 goals to his name, playing a key part in their late-season surge towards the play-off spots.
The 20-year-old joined the Lions from Vojvodina in his homeland, having also had a loan spell with Sampdoria in Serie A.
His showings in the Championship saw him rewarded with a first senior international cap against Denmark last autumn, while he has yet to net this season, the manner in which he adapted to the division last term mean he will be expected to be a key performer.
Defender Tristan Crama broke into the Millwall team as a result of injuries shortly after he joined from Brentford in January 2025, but his excellent performances mean he nailed down a place in the team that he has not relinquished.
The centre-back, who spent most of the second half of last season at right-back, hails from Beziers in the south of France and first emerged at his hometown club before being snapped up by Brentford in 2020.
He came close to a first-team appearance for the west London club, but was a regular for their 'B' team, and had successful loans with Bristol Rovers and Exeter City, before being recalled from the latter spell to make the permanent move to The Den.
He may have only just returned to fitness, but midfielder Will Smallbone's undoubted pedigree mean he may well prove to be a key acquisition for the Lions over the season ahead.
Smallbone, 25, only made his debut as a substitute in the win over Watford on Monday night, having joined on loan from Southampton on deadline day, but he is a player with no shortage of experience of the second tier, nor the composure and competitive nature required to succeed.
The Republic of Ireland international was a key figure in the Southampton side that got promoted in 2024, and he made 18 Premier League appearances for Saints last season.
Born in Basingstoke, Smallbone joined Southampton's adademy at the age of eight and rose all the way through to the senior ranks., making his debut in an FA Cup tie against Huddersfield Town in 2020.
He spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Stoke, where he was signed by current Millwall boss Alex Neil, and returned to Southampton to be one of the spearheads of their promotion, scoring in the semi-final second leg win over West Bromwich Albion.