Lee Gregory is out of contract in the summer and could choose to depart The Den.

But Millwall are doing all they can to ensure he does not leave, as they have offered him a bumper new contract, according to NewsAtDen.

The 30-year-old is the leading man in attack for Neil Harris’ men and epitomes what it is to be a Millwall player.

Having signed from Halifax back in 2014, the striker has endeared himself to the Lions faithful and has become an overwhelming fans’ favourite.

With the news that the Lions have offered Gregory a new deal, here are THREE reasons why the Championship club simply can’t afford to lose their talisman.

Incessant work rate

A harder working player at The Den you will scarcely find.

Gregory is a forward that takes the phrase first time of defence literally.

His defensive contribution is one of the best in the league from an advances position.

The 30-year-old chases down lost causes and constantly harasses opposition defenders to give them as little time on the ball as possible to force them to make a mistake.

That style of play has not gone unnoticed by the Millwall fans who desperately want to stay with his wholehearted performances.

He runs himself into the ground every match and is a big part of how this team sets up.

Goal scoring

Gregory is a striker, first and foremost, and despite not getting judged purely on the number of goals he scores, it is a big part of his game.

Three out of the last four years he has been Millwall’s top goal scorer, and that shows you the importance of the 30-year-old when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.

Gregory has nine goals to his name this term, the most of any Lions player once again – and has 73 goals in the past four-and-a-half years with the club.

Tying him down to a new deal is imperative for this reason.

Hold-up play

You’d think a target man would be more adept at holding up play and bring others into attacks.

But Gregory is fast becoming a master of this.

Able to hold up the ball with his great physical strength, his ability to maintain possession and keep opposition players from getting the ball is impressive, giving time for teammates to join forward attacks.

The 30-year-old can pick a ball out of the air and kill it with one touch and keep the ball to get his team forward.

Gregory is an all-round forward and having a player like that in your ranks is rare these days.