Zak Mills

For other people with the same name, see Zachary Mills.

Zak Mills

Personal information
Full name	Zachary Louvaine Mills [1] [2]
Date of birth	(1992-05-28) 28 May 1992 (age 31) [3]
Place of birth	Peterborough, England [4]
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) [5]
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Boston United
Number	23
Youth career
	Boston United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2014	Histon	116	(4)
2014–2016	Boston United	71	(6)
2016–2018	Grimsby Town	58	(0)
2018–2019	Morecambe	38	(1)
2019–2020	Oldham Athletic	25	(1)
2020–2021	Port Vale	21	(0)
2021–2022	Walsall	9	(0)
2022–	Boston United	26	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:34, 5 May 2023 (UTC)

Zachary Louvaine Mills (born 28 May 1992) is an English professional footballer who plays as a right-back for National League North club Boston United.

He began his career at Histon, establishing himself in the first-team as they were relegated out of the Conference Premier at the end of the 2010–11 season. He played 124 games for the club, before moving on to Boston United in March 2014. He spent just over two seasons with Boston, before moving up to the English Football League with Grimsby Town in June 2016. He spent two seasons with Grimsby and then moved on to Morecambe in June 2018. He won the club's Player of the Year award at the end of the 2018–19 campaign and switched to Oldham Athletic in June 2019. He was released after one season with Oldham and moved on to Port Vale in July 2020. He was released from Port Vale at the end of the 2020–21 season and subsequently signed with Walsall. Released at the end of the 2021–22 season, he rejoined Boston United in August 2022.

Career

Histon

Born in Peterborough, Mills played youth football with Boston United, ^[6] and began his senior career at Histon. He made his debut for the club on 14 August 2010, in a 3–1 win over Barrow at Bridge Road; assistant manager Dean Greygoose said that "It was an unbelievable win, especially given we went a goal down and our young players showed a lot of bottle". ^[7] He went on to feature 40 times in the 2010–11 season, which ended in relegation out of the Conference Premier for Histon. He scored his first career goal on 29 August 2011, in a 2–0 win at Solihull Moors. ^[8] The "Stutes" went on to finish the 2011–12 season in 16th-place in the Conference North, with Mills playing 31 games. He made 39 appearances in the 2012–13 campaign as Histon finished above the relegation after finishing above 20th-placed Corby Town due to a superior goal difference of just one goal. He scored three goals in 14 matches in the 2013–14 season, which ended in relegation for the club after his departure.

Boston United

He signed with Boston United in March 2014; the move was familiar to the player as manager Dennis Greene had previously been in charge in Histon, whilst Mills had previously spent time at Boston's Centre of Excellence. ^[6] He scored one goal in six games towards the end of the 2013–14 season, which saw Boston miss out on the Conference North play-offs by six points. He established himself in the first-team during the 2014–15 campaign, featuring in 44 games as the "Pilgrims" posted a third-place finish. Boston were eliminated from the play-off semi-finals by Chorley, losing a penalty shoot-out at York Street following a 2–2 draw; Mills converted his penalty, whilst Rene Steer missed the crucial spot-kick as the shoot-out went to sudden death. ^[9] Boston again qualified for the play-offs at the end of the 2015–16 season, and Mills scored the second goal of a 2–0 home win over North Ferriby United in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals, though North Ferriby won the return fixture 3–0 to eliminate Boston from the play-offs. ^{[10] [11]}

Grimsby Town

On 15 June 2016, Mills stepped up two divisions into the English Football League to join League Two club Grimsby Town on a two-year deal. ^[12] He faced a difficult task in dislodging the experienced Ben Davies at right-back. ^[13] He made his debut for the "Mariners" in the EFL Trophy on 30 August, after suffering a hamstring injury in pre-season. ^[14] He played 34 games in the 2016–17 season, which Grimsby ended in 14th-place after going through three managers in Paul Hurst, Marcus Bignot and Russell Slade. He was linked to a move to Shrewsbury Town in May 2017, who were managed by Paul Hurst, the man who signed him at Grimsby. ^{[15] [16]}

He was sent off for the first time in his career on the opening day of the 2017–18 season, in a 3–1 defeat at Chesterfield on 5 August, having received a second yellow card in the game following a clash with Kristian Dennis. ^[17] The next month he was sidelined for five league games after picking up a hamstring injury, during which time Davies performed well in his absence. ^[18] He next started a league game in November, after Davies moved to left-back to cover for the suspended Paul Dixon. ^[19] He was released by Grimsby after playing 32 games in the 2017–18 season. ^[20] The Grimsby Telegraph reported that his name was one of the biggest surprises on Michael Jolley's 11 strong released list, as Davies was also let go to leave Reece Hall-Johnson as the only right-back remaining at Blundell Park. ^[21]

Morecambe

On 21 June 2018, Mills signed a one-year contract with Morecambe. ^[22] Manager Jim Bentley said that "we see him as a player who can get even better". ^[23] He scored his first goal in the EFL on 6 April, securing an important point in a 1–1 draw with relegation rivals Macclesfield Town. ^[24] At the end of the 2018–19 season, Mills won three awards at the end of the season awards at the Globe Arena, including Player of the Year. ^[25]

Oldham Athletic

On 21 June 2019, after turning down a new contract at Morecambe, Mills signed a one-year contract with Oldham Athletic. ^[26] On 21 September, he provided two assists in a 3–1 win over former club Morecambe at Boundary Park, in what was Dino Maamria's first game in charge following the sacking of Laurent Banide. ^[27] The "Latics" finished the 2019–20 season in 19th-place and Mills was released in July 2020. ^[28]

Port Vale

On 16 July 2020, he signed a one-year contract with Port Vale. ^[29] Assistant manager Dave Kevan said that he was brought in to provide competition for James Gibbons. ^[30] Manager John Askey had reportedly tried to sign him the previous year, but lost out to Oldham. ^[13] He scored on his debut for the club, a volleyed goal in an 2–1 win at Scunthorpe United in an EFL Cup game on 5 September. ^{[31] [32]} However, he was ruled out of action for four weeks after picking up a grade two tear in his hamstring in a 0–0 draw with Harrogate Town on 26 September; the game had seen Mills help the "Valiants" to keep their third consecutive clean sheet in the league. ^[33] He then had to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, leaving him unable to play again until the start of December. ^[34] On 31 March, he was deregistered from the squad in order to make space for Harry McKirdy, after Mills picked up an injury which would keep him out of action for the rest of the 2020–21 season. ^[35] On 10 May 2021 it was announced that he would leave Port Vale when his contract expired at the end of the season. ^[36]

Walsall

He signed a one-year contract with Walsall on 8 July 2021, after which manager Matthew Taylor praised his character and versatility. ^{[37] [38]} Mills featured 14 times for the club, including just twice after Michael Flynn took charge in February. ^[39] Mills left the Bescot Stadium after being released at the end of the 2021–22 season. ^[40]

Return to Boston United

On 5 August 2022, Mills returned to Boston United in the National League North, with manager Paul Cox saying "it was a no-brainer to bring him in". ^[41] He made 26 league appearances in the 2022–23 campaign, scoring two goals. ^[42]

Style of play

Mills plays primarily as a right-back, but can also play elsewhere in defence or midfield. ^[43] He has good athleticism, allowing him to join the play going forward from the full-back role. ^[13] He describes himself as "an all rounder". ^[44]

Career statistics

As of match played 29 April 2023

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		EFL Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Histon	2010–11 [45]	Conference Premier	39	0 [lower-alpha 1]	1	0	—		—		40	0
	2011–12 [47]	Conference North	28	1	0	0	—		3	0	31	1
	2012–13 [47]	Conference North	35	0	0	0	—		4	0	39	0
	2013–14 [45]	Conference North	14	3	0	0	—		—		14	3
	Total		116	4	1	0	—			0	124	4
Boston United	2013–14 [45]	Conference North	6	1	0	0	—		—		6	1
	2014–15 [48]	Conference North	36	3	2	1	—		6 [lower-alpha 2]	0	44	4
	2015–16 [47]	National League North	29	2	1	0	—		4 [lower-alpha 3]	1	34	3
	Total		71	6	3	1	—		10	1	84	8
Grimsby Town	2016–17 [49]	League Two	30	0	1	0	0	0	3 [lower-alpha 4]	0	34	0
	2017–18 [50]	League Two	28	0	0	0	1	0	3 [lower-alpha 4]	0	32	0
	Total		58	0	1	0	1	0	6	0	66	0
Morecambe	2018–19 [51]	League Two	38	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	40	1
Oldham Athletic	2019–20 [52]	League Two	25	1	2	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 4]	0	29	1
Port Vale	2020–21 [31]	League Two	21	0	0	0	2	1	2 [lower-alpha 4]	1	25	2
Walsall	2021–22 [39]	League Two	9	0	1	0	1	0	3 [lower-alpha 4]	0	14	0
Boston United	2022–23 [42] [53]	National League North	26	2	3	0	0	0	1 [lower-alpha 5]	0	30	2
	2023–24 [42] [53]	National League North	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		26	2	3	0	0	0	1	0	30	2
Career total			338	12	13	1	5	1	30	2	386	16

1. Soccerway incorrectly attributes Danny Mills goal against Altrincham to Zak Mills. ^[46]
2. 3 appearances in the FA Trophy, 2 appearances in the play-offs and 1 appearance in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup.
3. 2 appearances and 1 goal in the play-offs, 1 appearance in the FA Trophy and 1 appearance in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup.
4. Appearance/s in the EFL Trophy.
5. Appearance/s in the Lincolnshire Senior Cup.

Honours

Individual

• Morecambe F.C. Player of the Year: 2019 ^[25]

References

1. "Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
2. "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/06/2015 and 30/06/2015". The Football Association. p. 5. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
3. "Profile: Zak Mills". thefishy.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
4. Findlater, James (22 December 2017). "Pasta, stretching and last-minute shopping - a GTFC Christmas!". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
5. "Zak Mills". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
6. "StackPath". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
7. "Histon 3-1 Barrow". BBC Sport. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
8. "National League North (Sky Sports)". Sky Sports. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
9. Singleton, Craig. "Boston United 2-2 Chorley (Chorley won 5-4 on penalties)". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
10. Singleton, Craig. "Boston United 2-0 North Ferriby United". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
11. Singleton, Craig. "North Ferriby United 3-0 Boston United". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
12. "Zak Mills: Grimsby Town sign Boston defender on two-year deal". BBC Sport. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
13. Baggaley, Michael (16 July 2020). "Who is Zak Mills? All about Port Vale's new defender". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
14. Wood, Liam (1 September 2016). "Hurst encouraged by Mills after Mariners debut". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
15. "Shrewsbury Town ponder move for Grimsby's Zak Mills". Shropshire Live. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
16. Cox, Lewis (11 May 2017). "Shrewsbury transfer news: Paul Hurst may raid former club Grimsby". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
17. "Chesterfield 1-3 Grimsby Town". BBC Sport. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
18. Findlatter, James (6 October 2017). "Mills desperate to make league return after injury". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
19. Findlater, James (17 November 2017). "'I'll prove that I'm worthy of getting a start again'". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
20. "James McKeown: Grimsby Town offer new deal to goalkeeper and release 11". BBC Sport. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
21. Findlater, James (21 June 2018). "Former Grimsby Town defender Zak Mills joins Morecambe". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
22. "Morecambe: Rhys Oates and Zak Mills sign on free transfers". BBC Sport. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
23. "Zak Mills & Rhys Oates Sign". www.morecambefc.com. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
24. "Macclesfield Town 1-1 Morecambe". www.morecambefc.com. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
25. "Player of the Season statistics". Morecambe F.C. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
26. "Zak Mills: Oldham Athletic sign ex-Morecambe defender on one-year deal". BBC Sport. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
27. "Mills: "It Was An All-Round Good Day"". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 22 September 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
28. "Retained & Released List". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
29. Baggaley, Michael (16 July 2020). "Port Vale sign former Oldham, Grimsby and Morecambe defender Zak Mills". stokesentinel.
30. "Zak Mills: Port Vale sign former Oldham Athletic defender after his release by Latics". BBC Sport. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
31. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
32. Baggaley, Michael (5 September 2020). "Scunthorpe 1, Port Vale 2: Askey's verdict as Robinson strikes late on". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
33. Baggaley, Michael (30 September 2020). "Injury blow for Port Vale defender Zak Mills". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
34. Baggaley, Michael (11 December 2020). "'Really strong' - Port Vale latest on James Gibbons and full back competition". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
35. Baggaley, Michael (31 March 2021). "Harry McKirdy back in squad after EFL accept Port Vale plea". StokeonTrentLive. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
36. "2020/21 Retained List". Port Vale F.C.
37. Edwards, Joe. "Walsall snap up Zak Mills on one-year deal". www.expressandstar.com.
38. "Walsall sign former Vale defender Mills". BBC Sport.
39. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
40. "Retained and Released list confirmed". www.saddlers.co.uk. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
41. Thirkill, Stephen (5 August 2022). "Boston United snap up Mills and Leesley". Lincolnshire World. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
42. Zak Mills at Soccerway
43. Dannatt, Matt (16 June 2016). "Zak Mills: I am a versatile signing for Grimsby Town". Grimsby Telegraph. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
44. "Mills Is Ready To Get Going". www.oldhamathletic.co.uk. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
45. Zak Mills at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
46. "Histon 3-0 Altrincham". BBC Sport. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
47. "Zak Mills Profile | Aylesbury United FC". www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
48. "StackPath". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
49. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
50. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
51. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
52. "Games played by Zak Mills in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
53. "Zak Mills - Boston United Football Club First Team". www.bostonunited.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2023.