JAPHET Tanganga said the love he felt from people at Millwall influenced his decision to return to the club.
The 25-year-old has signed a permanent deal to come back to The Den following his loan spell in the second half of last season.
The transfer represents a huge coup for the Lions with free agent Tanganga wanted by many clubs this summer, with Premier League Ipswich Town reportedly among the huddle.
But the defender said the contentment he felt at Millwall last season and the affection he got from his manager, team-mates and fans won him over.
Asked why he wanted to return, he told Millwall TV: “There were loads of factors. Playing the amount of games I played, I felt like it was right place to come back knowing the manager, knowing the team-mates, knowing how well we finished off last season. If we had started like that, it could’ve been something different.
“I was speaking to the manager quite a lot over the summer and he was doing a lot of convincing. And I spoke to my team and my dad and everyone that’s involved with me, and they felt like this was the right step for me to keep playing and continue the form I left off with.
“Every football player wants to be appreciated for what they’ve shown and their talents. And the way the club showed me that and the faith they put into me, especially coming off the back of the first half of the season and not playing as much as I [wanted to], it just felt right to me.”
Tanganga became very popular across his 18 appearances last season and along with winning over fans, he also won over his team-mates.
He was photographed being lifted by the squad in the changing room after his final loan game last season before his team-mates dragged him to the stage while singing the viral Tanganga chant at the annual awards night.
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The centre back said: “I’ve said it in the past but honestly this is a very good bunch of people. Not just players, but people as well.
“That was important for me. And like I said I really enjoyed my time here with some very big characters and I can’t wait to see them again.”
There had been plenty of speculation about Tanganga’s future with not even the Millwall players knowing exactly what he was thinking.
He said: “A few boys have asked me ‘what’s happening’ like Rom [Esse], Joe [Bryan] asked me and Zian [Flemming] as well. I’ve just had to keep it quiet and let the work happen in the background until it was confirmed.
“It wasn’t an easy summer. You sometimes think when you have a lot of options, it’s easier but it’s actually quite difficult.
“You start overthinking things and there’s so many things to think about. But once the gaffer was convincing me and telling me his plan and how he saw things going in the future, I felt like I was just excited to get back here and get ready to go.
“That back end of last season is the most consistent I’ve played in my career which is very important for my confidence and I thank the gaffer and the club. So when he was speaking to me and seeing the project and how he saw it going forward, I think it just made sense.”
Tanganga also paid tribute to the fans for their support of him last season.
He said: “Thank you firstly for the ways you guys welcomed me last season. Honestly I felt a level of love that a lot of football players want to feel. Now I’m here permanently, I look forward seeing you guys at The Den and I hope we can do a lot more than what we achieved last season.”
