How Caleb Taylor became invaluable to Millwall &#8211; and the ripple effects of his emergence

CALEB Taylor faced a formidable task when he joined Millwall.

Signed shortly after the Lions' 2024-25 player of the season Japhet Tanganga left the club, he had to displace either a modern Lions legend in Jake Cooper or the 'Millwall Maldini' Tristan Crama to break into the starting eleven.

The pair had struck up an effective partnership, and there was a sense that Taylor's impact might be felt in the coming seasons rather than the current one. Successful loan spells in League One showed he could contribute in the here and now, but with minimal Championship experience he would need time to adjust to the speed, physicality and quality of the division.

He was only 22 at the time of his signing, and his similar profile to Cooper suggested he was envisioned as the Millwall skipper's long-term successor. The Lions did not sign him to sit on the bench all season, but being one of the first names on the teamsheet was far from guaranteed.

To say he has surpassed all expectations would be an understatement. Taylor has been exceptional since making his first league start at home against Preston North End and has impressed to the extent that he was nominated for Championship Player of the Month for January and is currently ranked as the third-best player in the division by WhoScored (one spot above Femi Azeez).

Taylor did not come from nowhere - West Bromwich Albion fans were disappointed to lose him , and he excelled at Wycombe Wanderers last season, yet the fact that the Baggies were reluctantly willing to sell him on suggests they did not foresee just how well he would do at the level (given how their season has gone, they must be kicking themselves).

As with Crama eight months earlier, Millwall's recruitment department has unearthed another gem, one who is capable of influencing the game in both boxes.

In January alone, he racked up four goal contributions, including a late winner against Swansea, having set up Ivanovic's earlier strike, the nerve-settling second goal against Charlton and another flick on from a set-piece, again assisting an Ivanovic instinctive strike.

Of course, his most memorable goal was that extraordinary long-range strike in the 3-2 win over Southampton at The Den, but most of his offensive contributions come at set-pieces, where he is a massive nuisance and really benefits from the presence of the other two big lads, Cooper and Crama.

Think back to the first half of last season, when teams could swarm Cooper at corners - Tanganga was capable in the air but was not particularly tall for a centre-half. There are now three big bodies in the box, plus Ivanovic or Coburn, and they have signed a set-piece specialist in Alfie Doughty who is capable of dropping the ball on a pin.

No wonder they look so much more dangerous at corners.

When Taylor first joined, he had to bide his time. He impressed in a back three at Selhurst Park in the EFL Cup, marking Romain Esse out of the game (he was hooked at half-time), but had to wait another month and a half for his opportunity to come in the league.

"I think with Caleb, when he came in, the concern I had was I thought Tristan and Coops complemented each other really well," Neil told NewsAtDen . "Will they work together as well as Tristan and Coops were?"

In October, Neil referenced Crama's pace and mobility when discussing why he and Cooper worked so well together, and he expanded on that this week.

"It wasn't mobility as far as Caleb individually is concerned," Neil said. "It was because of how quick Tristan is. I was probably unfairly looking at Tristan, but I don't think you can compare Tristan to anybody. Because he's so strong, he's so mobile.

"But Caleb, in his own right, is quick, and he covers the ground, and he anticipates, and he reads things.

"I couldn't be any more pleased with both lads. I think both of them have done great."

Neil debuted the new centre-back partnership against Preston North End, with Crama shifting out to right-back, where he had impressed last season. It worked well - Preston's sole goal came from a mishit Camiel Neghli back pass, something neither Cooper nor Taylor could do anything about, and they mostly kept the Lilywhites' forward line quiet.

Moreover, the change allowed Crama to bomb down the right flank, and his impact in the final third was noticeable.

Cooper was suspended for the next game, a disappointing 3-1 loss at Fratton Park, but on his return Neil opted to continue with what had worked well against Preston.

Taylor and Cooper would start fourteen out of the next fifteen games together, keeping seven clean sheets and conceding just eleven goals.

"I think they've been magnificent together," Neil said. "Caleb individually has performed to a really high level. He's gotten better and better with each game.

"With Jake next to him and his leadership, he's learned from him; the two of them have struck up a brilliant partnership. I couldn't be any more pleased with both of them.

"But naturally, I did have, I wouldn't even say concerns about it. It's just when you look at profiles, you're thinking how is this going to work? I do it everywhere on the pitch, so it's not just there. It's when I look at the forwards, when I look at the midfield pair, when I look at the full-backs and the wide pair. What you're trying to do is get guys who complement each other.

"Those two have shown me that they certainly complement each other, so fair play to the two of them."

Taylor's emergence has been an instrumental factor in Millwall's recent success. Not only has he formed an effective partnership with Cooper, but it has also allowed Neil to put his most athletic defender, Crama, at right-back, where he has linked up with Azeez to wreak havoc on the left-hand side of opposition defences. Moreover, it has enhanced the Lions' threat at set-pieces.

In short, the best compliment you could give Taylor is that Millwall do not miss Tanganga in the slightest, and at 23, there is clearly far more to come.