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Millwall beat Leeds United 1-0 on Wednesday night with a former Tottenham Hotspur man proving the decision-maker.
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Tottenham Hotspur are surely regretting the decision to allow youth academy product Japhet Tanganga leave the club as a free agent this summer as the 25-year-old turns heads as one of the most impressive defenders in the Championship this season while at Millwall.
The defender spent the back end of last season on loan at The Den and impressed with consistent performances at the back along with two vital goals against Southampton and Birmingham City as Neil Harris' side fought off relegation. Signing Tanganga on a permanent deal was a priority for the Lions this summer but never looked like a foregone conclusion.
That's because the defender was open to staying at Tottenham Hotspur despite his contract coming to an end that summer. In an interview with Football.London, the player shared his excitement to work under Ange Postecoglou. He said: “Yes, I am looking forward to working with Ange. Before I came out on loan to Germany, I was welcomed by him in pre-season and obviously I saw his ideas and did like them.
Tanganga was ‘looking forward’ to Spurs return
“Everyone can see that he’s very attack-minded, likes to keep the ball, and he’s doing well, so I’m looking forward to seeing his ideas and being a part of it.
“My focus is to build on from my spell at Millwall, with the number of games I played. You want to be in a position where you’re playing week in, week out, so whether that’s at Spurs or somewhere else, that is something that needs to be discussed in the future and we’ll see where we go from there.”
Clearly, Tanganga was open to signing a new deal at Tottenham Hotspur. It appears that, despite a busy season with Europa League action, Spurs were unable to offer the defender what he wanted to hear when it came to playing time. That now looks to be a potentially foolish decision.
In a world of Profit and Sustainability Rules being clamped down, recouping a transfer fee for academy product Tanganga would have been a huge boost for Spurs. As he wows for Millwall this season, it's clear that fee wouldn't have been small either if the club had capitalised on his interest in staying.
Harris ‘not always confident’ in defender returning to Millwall
Speaking in the summer, when asked if he always been confident Tanganga would return, Harris admitted: “No. All I can do is praise Japhet. We spoke at least once a week, if not two, three times. Really open, strong relationship. There’s been times when it looked like Japh might end up somewhere that’s seen as bigger clubs and better levels than us and we had to hang in there.
“My relationship with Japh has always been strong and positive and important in this and ultimately he’s come because he loved his time here and wants to help us get better.
“But also it feels like a good home for him to improve his game but also show the world he can play a round of fixtures as well. So no, I wasn’t always confident in Japhet coming and probably relieved to get him over the line as much as anything.”
Tanganga is at the heart of a Millwall defence that has now conceded just one goal in their last six outings and kept four clean sheets in a row. Harris' defence is an immovable object at the moment thanks to the former Spurs man.
Defender’s ‘sublime shift’ vs Leeds United
All of the player's recent performances have been impressive but, against promotion-chasing Leeds United on Wednesday night, he somehow found another level. Rated a 10/10 by LondonWorld, we wrote: "A sublime shift. So up for it tonight, confident and decisive in everything he did. The goal topped off a great performance with a clever finish that any striker would be proud of."
Those thoughts were echoed by former Millwall boss Gary Rowett as he provided punditry on Sky Sports. When Tanganga prodded home from a set play in the first half, the goal that would prove to be the winner, Rowett said: "He's been a brilliant signing. He's quick and aggressive. We know he's got the capability of playing in the Premier League, he just needs the games to prove it and I'm sure he'll get the opportunity this season.
"It's perfect timing from us and perfect timing from Japhet Tanganga. Millwall don't need possession or to attack all the time, they just need moments. Tanganga comes in and stabs the ball with the outside of his right foot, finds a gap between two defenders and the bottom corner past Meslier. It's a brilliant, brilliant moment."