Ian Holloway has praised the influence of debutant Jos Hooiveld as Millwall battled to a 0-0 draw at home to Reading on Tuesday evening.

Holloway had bolstered his squad with the loan capture of Hooiveld until the end of the season.

“If you look at Mr Hooiveld, has be put his cigar out yet?” Holloway said. “He only got here yesterday and he was absolutely fantastic, he slotted in with the lads.

“He knows Dan Harding, he's played with him before but it was like ‘hallelujah’ that calmness we've lacked over the last couple of weeks, we had.

“I believe because he wants to be here and play and wants to help, he doesn't care about where we are, he just wants to come here and play football and he’s really good at building a team spirit.

Holloway added: “Andy (Ambler, the chief executive) has done a brilliant job to get Norwich and Southampton to do this, I'm delighted with what that’s let me do: making decisions for peoples future. 

“The biggest laugh was, I was shouting to Jos Hooiveld: ‘1, 2, 3; diagonal try and hit the Hof’ and he went: ‘we’re only giving it away on two at the moment!’

“It was like: ‘hang on gaffer, we’re not even having three and we’re giving it away!’

“That’s the calmness of the man and hopefully you'll see in weeks to come that the spirit will build!” 

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