Lions miss out on duo

McInnes: Opted to stay North of the Border

Having already boosted their squad with seven new signings this summer, Millwall were keen to strengthen their midfield before the start of the new campaign but now they will have to start their search again after Dundee United's Derek McInnes and Chelsea's Dan Hollands decided not to join.

Although McInnes was tempted by a move to The Den he has decided to stay in Scotland for personal reasons while Hollands has seemingly opted for a move to Bournemouth after the club failed to convince him that a move across London would be the right choice for the former Chelsea reserve captain.

"I was tempted by the prospect of going to work with Nigel Spackman and Ray Wilkins", said McInnes. That was a big pull for me.

"The package was good and they were allowing me to come up to Scotland after the games and fly back down on Wednesdays.

"But I came back up from West Brom because of my family situation and so I spoke to Nigel and he understood the situation. He couldn't have been any better about it."

Manager Nigel Spackman will undoubtedly step up his search for a couple of midfielders, even more so now that Player of the Year and Club Captain David Livermore has decided to hand in a second transfer request in less than twelve months while fellow midfielder Marvin Elliot is also thought to be keen on a move away from The Lions.