‘He was one of top defenders in Championship’ – Former Millwall duo full of praise for Shaun Hutchinson

Shaun Hutchinson’s tenure at Millwall ended last week, and both Alex Pearce and Aiden O’Brien have heaped praise on him.

The 33-year-old Geordie center back’s contract with the Lions will expire this summer, the team announced on Friday.

In his 257 Millwall appearances, Hutchinson scored 14 goals, including a game-winning late goal against Bristol Rovers on the last day of the 2016–17 campaign that guaranteed a spot in the League One play-offs.

After defeating Bradford in the championship game at Wembley, the Lions went on to become a Championship team.

The only player remaining on the roster from the triumph over the Bantams is Jake Cooper due to the exits of Hutchinson and Bart Bialkowski after their contracts ended.

A complimentary switch after

“I had an impression of him before I joined the team, but he’s one of those guys that you don’t fully appreciate until you practice and play with them every day.

He was frequently in the team ahead of me. I believe that the supporters of Millwall truly value what he has accomplished for the team.

“I am aware that he scored the iconic goal against Bristol Rovers, but that was not his only highlight. In addition, I recall all the tackles he made and the significant goals he would score.

He was the one who you could pretty much count on to put on a great show at the club. He’s been an excellent helper.

“When I played alongside him, we usually played in a back three. It’s not easy to play in the middle against talented attackers and wingers, so I was in the middle and he was on the right. One of Hutchy’s greatest assets was his mobility, which allowed him to handle situations of that nature. He was also a better player than most people gave him credit for. In addition to being excellent in the air, he can bring the ball out and pass it.

He led appropriately. Though he wasn’t the most outspoken, he led by example with the manner he played.

After doing his duties and going home, Hutchy would come in and laugh with the boys. You knew that he would take care of his business and that you wouldn’t have any issues with him when you played with him. That, in its own unique manner, is leadership.

Hutchinson had eight seasons with Millwall, only that first one in England’s third tier.

Aiden O’Brien, in the same Lions side that won promotion from League One, said: “He was by far the hardest player to play against in training. I used to hate it and love it when he was on my team – he was so aggressive and so strong. It was kind of almost impossible to beat him one-v-one if he closed down the area quickly, which he does.

“As a person he is terrific. I don’t think anyone would say a bad thing about him. He hasn’t got a bad bone in his body – a bit like Jake Cooper, harmless, really nice guys and work hard. It’s something you need around the changing room, to set examples for the young ones coming through.

“I wish all him all the best for whatever comes his way. I’m pretty sure he’s going to have a lot of takers.

“He has been a terrific player for the football club but it’s also off the pitch stuff, people don’t notice how important that is. Neil Harris would have done his due diligence on his character before he signed and everyone would have said exactly what I said.

“Having Hutchy around every day just energises the camp.

“I thought our season was done before he scored at Bristol. Out of nowhere you see a massive, fat head flying through the sky!

That is something else entirely; when the ball is in the air, he becomes a monstrous creature. Even while he may not seem very large when you are standing next to him, he is actually seven or eight feet tall when he jumps.

“It was an unforgettable moment.” We needed the energy and slight lift from that last-minute palaver to push through that season.

“He has been outstanding; it’s not just that one goal-line clearance, block, or man of the match performance. It’s been fun to play with him. He really is a great man.

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