Gillingham newcomer Jacob Wakeling was shortlisted for EFL’s League 2 player-of-the-season last time he played the level and believes he’s even better now.
Wakeling scored seven goals and assisted another five in his 39 appearances for Swindon Town during the 2022/23 season, playing alongside Remeao Hutton and Jonny Williams – who he has been reunited with at Gillingham.
His impressive season at Swindon – his only full one to date – was followed by a move to Peterborough United, moving there for a fee in September last year.
Wakeling, who signed a three-year deal at Peterborough, made seven appearances off the bench but had limited chance to shine as he was cup-tied in the EFL Trophy and League Cup before injury led to him missing the second half of the season.
He’s returned from having two bad ankle injuries, putting them behind him with a positive pre-season at Peterborough. He scored twice against both Spalding and Stamford and netted for the Gills at Woking on Saturday.
The striker is determined to make up for lost time at the Gills.
He said: “The move wasn’t just a case of Peterborough saying ‘we don’t want you’. I wanted this as well. I wanted to get out and get consistent games and I feel like this is the perfect fit for me to do that.
“I think with how ambitious the club is going to be this season, they want to get promoted, I want to get promoted, the manager as well, chatting to him and just the whole club in general.
“I feel like I have improved since the (season at Swindon). Even though I didn’t play much last year at Peterborough, I feel like I am more of an improved player now, on the mental side and the physical side and I feel this season I am going to show how much I have improved.
“I came back from injury at the start of pre-season and hopefully for me those injuries are past me now. I am just looking forward to the season to start.
“I just try to look at a positive, what can I work on, the mental side of the game, what I need to improve on, and just really reflecting on myself as a player. I have done that and feel this season I am going to show it.
“It has been a long, long time for me and I am buzzing to get started when the real stuff begins.”
His initial injury for Posh came in an under-21 game against Tottenham. He went five months without a senior game, only making one more brief appearance towards the end of the season.
He’s hit the ground running at Gillingham. With old teammates Hutton and Williams making it easy for the 22-year-old to integrate, he headed home a goal at Woking just 46 minutes into his career at his new club.
He said: “It is a good way to start my career here, it was a good goal and I’m looking forward to doing that a few more times this season.
“I tried to get myself free and up early and I just put it on target and it went in.
“I try not to put pressure on myself and go into each game believing I can score, if it happens then great but if it doesn’t then I am still going to believe I will score in every game.”
The Gills kick off their League 2 season on Saturday at home to Carlisle United.
Wakeling added: “I am looking forward to it and it has been a long time for me to play a league game, I am just hungry to score, I believe I am going to score next week as well.”
