There were angry scenes in Paris after a coming together in the men's 5,000 metres heat
A drone flies through the Olympic rings in Paris, July 2024(Image credit: Alamy)
During a 14-year career that took in stints at Leeds United, and Manchester City and also saw him win 19 England caps, Danny Mills developed a reputation as a no-nonsense defender who was never shy in letting opponents or match officials know what he was thinking.
Since his retirement in 2009, the 47-year-old has moved into the media, but has also seen two of his children enjoy successful sporting careers in their own right.
His son Stanley is following in his footsteps as a professional footballer at Everton, while his eldest son George is a middle-distance athlete, currently competing at the Olympic Games in Paris.
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And after a controversial 5,000 metres heat on Wednesday morning, George appeared to show that he has inherited his father’s fiery nature, in addition to his sporting talent.
Mills was one of four athletes to have been floored during the final lap of a dramatic race at the Stade de France after he came together with Frenchman Hugo Hay in the home straight.
After appearing to be been shoved by Hay, Mills collided with three follow runners, hitting the deck and then jogging to the line for an 18th place finish, seemingly ending his qualification hopes in the process.
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🇬🇧 George Mills was NOT happy with one of his fellow 5000m competitors 😡#Olympics #Paris2024 #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/OQ7tODFkpKAugust 7, 2024
Following the race, Mills confronted Hay, pointing his finger at him and exchanging verbals and rejecting an arm around the shoulder from the Frenchman.
“I mean, I think it’s pretty clear,” Mills told the BBC following the race. “I got stepped out on as I was about to kick in the home straight and boom, the French lad took me down.”
Mills then admitted he shouldn’t repeat what he said to Hay when asked how the conversation went.
Danny Mills up against Gareth Southgate during an England training session in 2001 (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Yeah. I’m probably not allowed to say. But yeah, I said… yeah,” he added, biting his tongue somewhat.
Mills added that he hoped an appeal would be lodged and soon got his wish, with the race referee confirming that he had been advanced to the final, along with the three other athletes who also fell in the heat.
That means he will be part of a 20-man final, which will be held on Saturday night, giving Mills the opportunity to win his first Olympic medal after he failed to qualify from the 1,500m semi-final earlier this week.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
