Millwall manager Gary Rowett has insisted that Jed Wallace will not be distracted by uncertainty over his long-term future ahead of the start of the new Championship season.

Wallace’s long-term future remains up in the air heading into the campaign with Millwall having offered him a new contract to try and secure his future with them.

However, as of yet the winger has not signed that new deal and he will therefore continue to head into the final year of his current deal.

The 27-year-old though has played for Millwall throughout pre-season and he netted in the win against Ipswich Town in their friendly last weekend.

Should he remain with the Lions the winger should continue to be a strong performer for them in the Championship next term and so far there has not been a sign of any major bids coming in for him.

Speaking to the News at Den, Rowett insisted that Wallace is not going to be distracted by the talk surrounding his potential long-term future and backed him to remain a crucial player for the Lions until his situation is resolved one way or the other.

He said: “I’ve said it before, Jed’s a really important member of the squad. He has a real responsibility in there as one of the senior voices.

“He works hard every day in training and he shows it on the pitch. He’s been fantastic for us over a two-year period and I don’t expect that to be any different.

“He’s a top player and a top lad and, really, all the rest of it will get dealt with one way or another.

“For me, it’s about what he does on the pitch and how he conducts himself. And he’s been exemplary so far.”

The verdict

Wallace’s situation is a really difficult one for Millwall to handle this summer and the Lions would have been hoping to have had it cleared up by now as the start of the new campaign looms.

However, they have so far been unable to convince him to commit his future to the club for one reason or another and that means speculation will continue to mount over the coming weeks.

The 27-year-old is one of the best players in the Championship in his position and he will therefore always have plenty of potential suitors in him especially in his current contractual situation with Millwall.

It will be difficult for them to tie him down to a new deal when he has interested parties that might be able to afford to offer him more money or the chance to play at a higher level.

Rowett is right though that the 27-year-old is someone that will continue to commit himself to the cause and help the Lions challenge for promotion as long as he remains with the club.