Sheffield Wednesday new boy planning to make first taste of League One a brief one
Billy Mitchell has signed up for a first season of League One football at Sheffield Wednesday, but he fully intends for it to be his last.
The 25-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Hillsborough after joining on a free transfer.
Mitchell, who was born in Orpington and grew up in south London, has been with Millwall since he was in their under-15s team, but they were unable to persuade him to sign a new contract at the end of last season.
His entire career at the club he supported as a boy was played out at Championship level, including 24 league starts last season. He was, though, an unused substitute in both legs of their play-off semi-final against Hull City.
Watford were believed to be offering him the chance to stay in the second tier but he opted instead to try to bring the Owls back to that level.
"We all know Sheffield Wednesday doesn't belong in League One and I, along with the rest of the boys, am going to make it our sole mission to get promoted," he promised.
“It’s the history of the club, the size of the club, the fans, and I've heard great things about the dressing room. I think the thing that sticks out to me the most is how everyone's stuck together, how the fans have stuck by the team through thick and thin. That's something that you can't buy.
“Having spoken to the owner and hearing how he envisaged the club moving forward and doing it with a smile on our faces as well, that was something that really enticed me.”
With only one goal for Millwall, Mitchell's job will be as the midfield anchorman who allows the likes of Barry Bannan – a team-mate of his for the second half of last season – to get forward.
Mitchell is the ninth addition to the Owls squad this summer, along with Bannan, Ricardo Santos, Jordi Liongola, Louie Barry, Sil Swinkels, Callum Slattery, Joe Lumley and Leeds United loanee Harry Gray.
Wednesday's pre-season preparations step up a notch on Sunday when they fly to Hungary and Austria for a week-long pre-season training camp which includes a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stoke City.
On Saturday they beat Preston North End in a behind-closed-doors game made up of two 60-minute halves.
Louie Barry, Jamal Lowe and Reece Johnson scored for the visitors.
The competitive campaign kick off with a League Cup first-round tie at home to Bolton Wanderers who, as League One play-off winners, have swapped places with relegated Wednesday in the pyramid.