Millwall boss Rowett wants his assistant Callum Davidson to stay as long as possible

Millwall manager Gary Rowett hopes his assistant Callum Davidson will stick around for a lot longer – and believes now would be the wrong time to shift into management.

The 43-year-old Lions number two has been the subject of speculation following the resignation of Tommy Wright from the St Johnstone hotseat after seven years of success, saying he needed a break.

Stirling-raised Davidson made his name at the Perth club before a £1.75million move to Premier League outfit Blackburn in 1998. And he was Wright’s assistant for five years until June 2018, when he joined Rowett as his number two at Stoke City – the duo had been in the same Leicester team for two years until 2002.

Rowett said: “I don’t think Callum has been offered the job. Because of his history with the club there are so many ways in which it is a natural link.

“All the comments made about him do not surprise me.

“He is a very good coach – that is why I wanted to work with him. He is respected among the players both for his ability and his attributes as a person. It is hard to find people prepared to go the extra mile in the way he does. He complements our coach Adam Barrett and the other staff very well.

“I tried to get him a couple of times and eventually he gave in.

“He loves working at Millwall. “I am sure he has ambitions to be a manager. I hope it is not something I will have to look at down the line. Like many good Scottish coaches, I am sure he will have a go in the hotseat, but I hope that is a long way off. Hopefully, he will see Millwall as a good place to develop.

“It is a hard period to manage any club because there are so many uncertainties at the moment.”