Which way next for young Gillingham forward Joe Gbode is yet to be determined.
The performance of the 19-year-old caught the eye for Gillingham on Tuesday after playing on the right wing against League 1 Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy at Priestfield.
More: Gillingham midfielder faces another month out
Gbode’s already had a handful of substitute appearances off the bench in the league for the Gills this season and manager Mark Bonner says his position within the first-team is still to be decided.
A loan spell seems likely but more performances like the one on Tuesday will keep him nearer to the Gills first-team.
Bonner said: “I think probably at some point this season he’ll go on loan, probably, but that just depends whether he gets in our team and influences starting games.
“If everybody’s fit, then the balance will be how much is he influencing our starting team versus how much football he needs to play to keep developing. That’s a sweet spot you’ve got to try and get right.
“Selfishly, I would just probably say ‘stay with us all the time’. But if it gets to a point where he’s not making squads, or he’s only playing the small side of games, that’s not going to get him to be the player he needs to be, he needs to then go and play regularly. That is an option. We’ll see when the right time is, if there is a right time to do that.”
Gbode has experience playing out wide in his early years but has been seen more of a striker during his time as a professional at the club. He filled in on the right flank throughout pre-season.
Bonner said: “A little bit through necessity, but just through need, really, in the way I want our wide players to play and things.
“He’s played there, really from day one in games, but really he’s a number nine and probably that’s what he wants to be, and that’s what he can develop towards.
“I think players that can play in the top areas of the pitch in more than one position is really helpful. I think he’s adjusting and learning how we want our wide players to play well.
“I thought he had some brilliant moments in the game [on Tuesday] and it’s just a level of consistency we want to keep finding so that when his moments come, he’s ready for them.
“What’s his role this season? Try and get in the team. Firstly, try and help us be a winning team. If that doesn’t happen, we know we’ve got a plan or an idea of how we can make it a good year for him.”
Gbode isn’t the only one getting minutes. Alex Giles has played in cup games against Swansea and Peterborough.
Youth right-back Harry Webster also impressed on Tuesday and midfielder Harry Waldock has been around the first-team this season.
Bonner said: “In a lot of the younger players’ cases, whether they played the other day or not, we’ve had a lot of the young boys play, train and be with us all the time.
“I think if you’re a young player at this club right now, you should be fairly excited, because there’s a bit of an opportunity there and you’re in an environment where people really want to help you get better.
“They have to just trust that sometimes that’ll be in the team, sometimes it’ll be out the team, sometimes it’d be in someone else’s team while you’re trying to get to where you want to get to.”
Fellow young professional Sam Gale is currently on loan at Chelmsford City.
He helped them to a 5-1 win over Maidstone United at the Gallagher Stadium on Tuesday night, playing in the centre of defence for the National South side.
