Sweeney enters the Lions' Den
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Article summary
Young playmaker Peter Sweeney faces a baptism of fire as Millwall FC make their European debut.
Article body
By Brian Brownstein
Millwall FC midfield player Peter Sweeney believes the experience of manager Dennis Wise and his assistant Ray Wilkins will prove crucial in their first ever UEFA Cup campaign.
Mounting excitement
The Scotland Under-21 playmaker says there is a buzz around the south London club, who play in English football's second tier, ahead of tonight's match against Ferencvárosi TC. But the 19-year-old adds that everyone at the New Den is focused on the task in hand. "You can feel the excitement," he told uefa.com. "Everyone is looking forward to it. Millwall have not been in Europe before and we can't wait for the match to come around.
Wise heads
"We've been working very hard. The Hungarians are a good side so we are just trying to prepare the best we can. The manager Dennis Wise and his assistant Ray Wilkins have so much experience and they've passed on lots of useful tips to us. By the time kick-off comes around we should be ready to go."
Experienced duo
Europe may be new territory to Millwall but not to Wise and Wilkins, both former England midfield players. Wise was the enforcer of the Chelsea FC midfield throughout the 1990s and featured in their UEFA Cup Winners' Cup-winning team of 1998. Wilkins, meanwhile, had spells abroad with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain FC in a playing career which also included five years at Manchester United FC and 84 international caps.
Noble opponents
The pair took Millwall - tenth in the English first division last term - to the FA Cup final in May, where they lost 3-0 to Manchester United FC. With United entering the UEFA Champions League, Millwall had a ticket into Europe. Now the Hungarian champions are in town and Sweeney, who has been at the club since he was 14, said: "We want to put on a really good performance for the fans and go far in the competition. I think we can do really well, but we'll treat Ferencváros with the respect they deserve. They are a good team and we'll have to be at our best to beat them."
Peter Sweeney's personal website is at www.icons.com
