Molumby at Millwall is Brighton’s underrated loan ranger

Ben White might be the Brighton player on loan in the Championship who’s garnered all the attention in the 2019-20 season, but there’s another young prospect who’s been turning out for Millwall and earning rave reviews of his own – Jayson Molumby.

The midfielder has played a vital role in Millwall’s almost unnoticed rise into contention for a playoff spot. As a result, he’s being touted for a Republic of Ireland senior call up and will surely be on Graham Potter’s radar for a place in the Albion’s first team squad next season, whenever that may be.

In many ways, Molumby’s transformation into one of the most consistent midfielders in the second tier mirrors the Lions’ own improvement over the course of the 2019-20 campaign.

When Neil Harris left the Den in early October, Millwall were in 18th in the table. If you had a bookies sign up offer from signupoffers.codes you wouldn’t be wasting it on the Lions to win promotion.

Since Gary Rowett took over however, they’ve been flying. They’ve risen to eighth in the table and currently sit two points off Preston North End who occupy sixth. Suddenly, Millwall in the Premier League in 2020-21 isn’t as far-fetched an idea as you might think.

It took Molumby a little while to get going at the Den. He didn’t make his first league start for the Lions until September 14th, some seven games into the campaign.

Millwall may have lost 2-0 that day away at a Blackburn Rovers side captained by former Brighton favourite Elliott Bennett, but Jayson Molumby did enough to retain his place for the following week’s defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers.

He’s started in all but two of the Lions’ subsequent Championship fixtures with praise flowing from all corners. Millwall teammate and fellow Irishman Shaun Williams said of the 20-year-old, “What I’ve noticed since the start of the season is that you can see him getting better each game that he plays.”

Aiden O’Brien (footballer as opposed to horse racing training) has also been impressed. “He’s been a brilliant player for us this season, he works really hard and he’s good on the ball as well.”

“Hopefully he can score a few more goals because he does everything else so, hopefully, he can start putting them in the back of the net.”

Molumby might not have goals in his game yet, but he did claim his first assist before coronavirus brought a halt to the season. That came when Millwall went to fellow playoff hopefuls Nottingham Forest and picked up a hugely impressive 3-0 win thanks to a Matt Smith hat-trick.

Rowett is on record as saying that he wanted to make Jayson Molumby a permanent Millwall player – those plans though were scuppered when he penned a new three-year Brighton contract last month.

The Lions boss told the South London Press, “He was a player we were hoping Brighton maybe didn’t see as playing first-team football for them soon and that he might be one we potentially tried to buy.”

“He has done really well for me. He was one we highlighted when we came in that we felt could be really important to the team. He has started nearly every game and really committed to Millwall this season.”

Molumby is certainly committed. Not only does he possess finesse and technical ability, but he also has an appreciation of the dirty side of the game as shown by his seven yellow cards so far. That blood-and-thunder approach is another reason why the Millwall faithful have taken to him.

Ireland Under 19s manager Tom Mohan talks about Molumby’s qualities as a battling leader. “He would have led us on many a crusade with both the Under 17s and Under 19s.”

“The bigger the battle, the bigger the name or the bigger the country we were up against, the more he relished it. He wants to be challenged, he’s a real warrior-type midfielder. He’s a real competitor who likes to roll up his sleeves and lead his side into battle.”

That skill set probably marks Molumby out as more of a defensive midfielder. Which is good news for both the Albion and Molumby himself as Potter isn’t exactly blessed for options when it comes to holding players.

Dale Stephens is the only current member of the senior squad naturally suited to the role. Potter has used Yves Bissiuma there on occasions but that’s looked at times like a square peg in round hole solution.

Steve Alzate is another option, but Potter doesn’t seem to have any idea where the young Colombian’s best position is. Alzate has found himself switching between right back, both wing back positions and the centre of midfield in his breakthrough season, so it’s hard to pass judgement on where exactly his future lies.

It isn’t beyond the realms of possibility therefore that Molumby could find himself in direct competition with Stephens for a starting spot next season.

There had been high hopes for Tudor Baluta, the young midfielder signed from FC Viitorul Constanta for £2.5 million in January 2019.

Baluta was already a full Romania international before he arrived at the Amex and was one of his nation’s stars as they knocked England out of the European Under 21s Championships last summer.

But he’s endured a frustrating first season in England, making just a couple of appearances in the Camila Cabello Cup. A loan spell in the second half of the campaign with Alan Pardew’s Den Haag hasn’t exactly gone to plan either, Baluta making just four appearances in the Netherlands.

Based on their respective loan switches, Molumby must surely now be ahead Baluta in the line of succession to Stephens.

And given that Stephens hasn’t been in great form since serving a one game suspension in December, that gives Molumby a real shot at replacing the Albion’s vice-captain in Potter’s starting line up next season.

Think we’re getting carried away? Watch Molumby and you’ll see how perfect he is for Potterball. He’s got a superb footballing brain and he’s excellent at pressing, a skill which Potter demands from his players.

That’s something that Rowett highlighted when he talked about the possibility of signing Molumby permanently. “He is a feisty player and he’s tough. You’ve seen in some games where he has almost taken us pressing the opposition into his own hands.”

“The goal at Brentford typified Jayson’s spirit. He closes one player down, then another and then the goalkeeper – it ends up with Aiden O’Brien following up and scoring. That is what he is about.”

Not only does he press, but he dictates play too. Potter values individuals who are comfortable on the ball; part of the reason that Alzate has enjoyed such a rapid rise from playing on loan with Swindon Town in League Two last season to first team squad member this year.

At last year’s Toulon tournament, Molumby captained Ireland Under 21s as they made it to the semi finals. At the end of the competition, he was voted the fourth best player from over 200 nations including footnballing powerhouses Brazil, Portugal, France and England.

The three individuals considered better? Brazil’s Douglas Luiz, a midfielder who Manchester City forked out £10m for. Luiz’s teammate Lyanco, a defender who Torino paid £6m for and who has attracted the interest of Manchester United, Juventus and Atletico Madrid among others. And Japan’s Ao Tanaka from Japan. Not bad company to be in.

Molumby’s senior debut for the Boys in Green won’t be far away. His form for Millwall alone is enough to justify a call up, but the fact that Stephen Kenny has recently taken over from Mick McCarthy as Ireland boss appears to make it a formality.

Kenny was the man who handed Molumby the Under 21s captaincy, installing him as his most trusted general in a talented side who currently top their Euro 2021 qualifying group.

The future certainly looks bright for Jayson Molumby and that is good news for Millwall in the short term and Brighton in the long term.

Ben White isn’t the only talented Albion youngster in the Championship. If football ever resumes, it might be worth keeping an eye on the Den.