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But things could have been oh so different had Crewe manager Dario Gradi not had so many midfielders on his books back in January.
Gradi decided not to enquire about the availability of his former captain when Willie Donachie was fighting for his signature because he felt he couldn't guarantee Brammer the first-team football that he so desperately craved. But after losing Lee Bell and Tony Grant and being hit by a spate of injuries, Gradi is beginning to regret his decision.
"Dave has done very well for them," Gradi told Crewe's official website. "Willie actually rang me to ask about him and maybe there was a chance that he could have come back here but it never got to that.
"I never spoke to Dave Brammer because we had enough midfielders here at the time.
"At this point of time with Lee and Tony leaving in January and Vaughany and O'Connor struggling with injuries, then maybe I would have tried to sign him because we know what a good player he is. He is a great lad and we are still in touch with him. I have a lot of time for Dave. He was a great player and a great captain for us."
And Crewe's loss looks like being Millwall's gain for a player who is just hungry to play.
"Dave is one of those players who wants to play every week. It is important for him to be playing as much as possible and maybe he wasn't playing as much as he would have liked at Stoke, especially when Tony Pulis was able to bring those players in on loan.
"He has made a move and I'm sure he enjoys playing under someone like Willie Donachie. He has done very well for Millwall and it will be great to see him again this evening once the game is over and done with."