Jamie Shackleton says he is happy with how his Millwall side coped with the threat of Ian Poveda during their 2-1 win over Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.

Both Shackleton and Poveda are technically still Leeds players, but after struggling for opportunities at Elland Road recently, both found themselves loaned out to the Championship in the summer.

While Shackelton headed to Millwall, Poveda joined Blackpool, meaning the two came head to head at The Den on Saturday afternoon.

It was Shackleton and Millwall who came out on top in that clash, claiming a 2-1 win thanks to a Daniel Grimshaw own goal and Benik Afobe's strike, either side of a Charlie Patino equaliser.

While Shackleton played the full 90 minutes of the game, Poveda was introduced for Blackpool with the score at 2-1 and 20 minutes, no doubt with the hope he would add an extra spark to get his side level.

But with that not happening, it seems Shackleton was pleased with the way that clash with his fellow Leeds man worked out, although he is still backing Poveda for the rest of the season.

Speaking about coming up against another Leeds loanee, Shackleton told London News Online: “Ian is a pretty tricky player, he didn’t get many chances to get on the ball and run at us, which is good, we stopped that well.

"But it was nice to see him, I was pretty close to him when I was at Leeds. I wish him all the best for the season.”

The Verdict

This is rather good to see from Shackleton in fairness.

Obviously, when he is out on the pitch, his focus must be on himself and Millwall, so he will no doubt have been delighted to get one over on Poveda with those three points.

Indeed, after some frustrating results for Gary Rowett's side, that does feel like an important win that will go some way to easing the pressure around The Den.

But beyond that, it seems there is still a strong connection between the two players, and it will be a lift for them to know they have each other's backing, with this game something for them to reflect on in the future.