Game over – Millwall boss confirms door is closed on Thompson’s Portsmouth return
Millwall boss Neil Harris has confirmed Ben Thompson will not be returning to Pompey.
The midfielder spent the first half of the season on loan at Fratton Park and quickly established himself as a fans’ favourite.
The 23-year-old made 27 appearances for the Blues, scoring three goals, before the Championship outfit activated an early release clause in his season-long loan deal.
Thompson played the full 90 minutes of Millwall’s 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough on Saturday – his first Championship start for the Lions.
His inclusion in the starting XI indicated that Harris had him in his plans for the rest of the season.
Now that’s been confirmed, with the impressed Lions boss stating Thompson had made a big impact on his return to the Den.
Speaking to Londonewsonline.co.uk, Harris said: ‘Ben will be staying with us for the rest of the season. Not just because of a strong performance at the weekend, it had been my mindset all along.
‘Ben had a fantastic first half of the season at Portsmouth, but he’s also been fantastic for the last few years (for Millwall).
‘He didn’t play as much football as we’d thought he would last season due to the (unbeaten) run we went on.
‘At the start of the season we didn’t think he would be in the starting 11 and even being on the bench probably wasn’t what he needed at the time.
‘When the opportunity to go and play for Kenny (Jackett) at Portsmouth it was a great opportunity for all of us.’
‘He did really well and was a big part of them getting to the top of the division.
‘Bringing him back has brought some impetus and personality into training. He’s brought some hunger into the training ground.’