Ismaïla Sarr says he is now fully up to speed with the demands of the Championship and has adjusted his game to make himself more of a varied threat.
The Senegal winger really got stuck into the physical side of the game in the back-to-back home wins against Huddersfield and Barnsley and gave as good as he got. He then backed it up with a wholehearted performance at Stoke, the most unforgiving of English venues, to show just how durable he is. The 22-year-old seemed to thrive amid the running battle he had with Rhys Norrington-Davies and plays with even more of a purpose when he has the bit between his teeth.
“It's a hard league and it has surprised me a lot,” said the club-record signing. “It's a very physical league and it's been tough, but I've just tried to work as hard as I can for the team. That's my job. You have to use your body more against defenders in this league as everyone is really physical. Everyone fights so hard and I have to win these battles for the team. I cannot only use my speed in the Championship and just use the threaded through ball. We must use different tactics and find a different way other than pace.”
Sarr admitted he hasn't always reached the standard he would have liked this season. In fact, he said his rather low-key celebration following his goal at Wycombe was because he was not happy with his performance.
“I can bring more to the team,” said the 2019 summer signing from Rennes. “We must keep winning games, especially against our direct rivals. Then promotion will be possible, but we have to be thinking about every game as if it's a final. It's very important to get back to the Premier League. This is our mission and everybody is working hard to fulfil this objective. It will not be easy, but this is our ultimate goal.”
It is easy to forget Sarr is just 22. Since he arrived in England after being bought for a club-record fee, Sarr has had to contend with becoming a father for the first time, adjusting to life and football in a new country, changes in coach, fluctuations in his own form and that of the team, lockdown and relegation. Relatively speaking, it's been a fair bit to handle for the forward. He has performed remarkably all in all.
“It was hard to adapt and then I spent a bit of time without playing,” he said. “I didn't speak the language, but I tried not to speak too much and speak with my feet instead. I kept working very hard and eventually made it. I like it here a lot. Everyone at the club is very nice and very kind to me. Everyone tries to help me out. Troy was always helping me and being respectful even before [Sadio] Mané spoke [about looking after me] at Anfield. This is normal for Troy and he is always trying to help everyone in the team.”
Hive Live: Millwall v Watford
Hive Live offers four-camera coverage of our trip to The Den, as well as an exclusive interview with Ismaïla Sarr and punditry from Tommy Mooney, Will Hoskins and Darren Ward. Secure your pass for the game, which has an earlier kick-off time of 7pm GMT, HERE.