The date for Gillingham’s trip to Millwall in the Carabao Cup has been confirmed and boss Steve Lovell can’t wait.

Gillingham manager Lovell will take his team to Millwall for the opening round of the League Cup competition on Tuesday, August 14.

Lovell spent four years at Millwall, between 1983 and 1987, before moving to the Gills. He was a regular goalscorer for both teams.

He said: “It will be nice to go back to The Den and nice to manage there. It is an excellent game early on in the season against Championship opposition, it will be good.

“It’s a good test, something the boys will be relishing and anyone who has experienced playing infront of a Millwall crowd knows it’s an experience, a really good one. I loved playing there very week.”

Former Millwall boss George Graham played Lovell upfront during an injury crisis back in 1984 and from there the Welshman helped the club to promotion into the second division. He scored 43 goals for the Lions in 143 appearances before making his move to Priestfield, topping the scoring charts there for four successive seasons.

“I am not sure what kind of reception I will get now,” he said.

“I am sure there will be a few fans who remember me and a lot of people who work at the club were there when I was there, so I still know them.”

Millwall won promotion out of League 1 through the play-offs in 2017 and adapted to life in the Championship well, narrowly missing out on another play-off campaign last season.

Lovell said: ““I know Chopper (Millwall manager Neil Harris). He has done a fantastic job, absolutely fantastic.

“He hasn’t got any superstars in his team but it’s a team that are well organised, they work hard and it's amazing how that can get you through games.

“To be well organised, with players who understand their roles and responsibilities and a couple of centre forwards who can score goals, that’s what they had and they had a great year.”