Gillingham defender Sam Gale says there is “a real fire in the belly” to put things right next season.
The 21-year-old, who has just completed his first full season as a senior professional and was named Gillingham’s young player-of-the-season for the second year running, has spoken about the frustration inside the squad and his determination to help spark a turnaround at Gillingham.
Despite the personal recognition, Gale insists that team success is the only focus moving forward.
“I was pleased to have picked up personal awards,” said Gale. “But, ultimately, much more concerned about us having a more positive season as a team next year.”
Asked whether he would swap individual honours for collective success, his answer was unequivocal.
“Yes, 100%. It’s very disappointing sitting here now with the season done, knowing how it went, and trying to put your finger on where it could have gone wrong, and where we could have picked up more points, and where we could have done better, and games where we missed opportunities. It’s really frustrating, especially with how the season started.”
He added: “There’s a real fire in the belly to make sure we get it right next year.”
Looking ahead, Gale believes Gillingham’s challenge is turning competitive performances into consistent results, pointing to a number of narrow defeats and momentum swings throughout the season.
He said: “I think we’ll show intent to get up the league and we hope to be in and around that top seven and really show some progress.
“There’s frustration because we know that this season we could go toe-to-toe with teams and small moments took games away from us, even the Grimsby game most recently. We were in that game, we should have gone ahead and then we end up losing 4-1 after a mad 10-minute spell and you’re like, ‘How’s that happened?’
“Next season we need to make sure we’re the ones coming out on top of those small margins to take games away from teams and I think that’s where the fine margins are.”
Gale also reflected on attending the EFL Awards, where promotion celebrations from other clubs served as added motivation.
Gale was in attendance after his League 2 young player-of-the-season nomination.
“A lot of teams were celebrating their promotions” he recalled. “Bromley, Lincoln and Coventry had all been promoted at that point. You kind of sit there with a bit of envy, and you wish you were there celebrating something a bit more positive.
“It was a really good night. It was good to be around people who also have positive seasons, and people with big standings in the game. It was a good experience to be there, and I really enjoyed it.”
Gale, who made 44 appearances across the season, says the experience has been invaluable – but he’s aware expectations will rise sharply next year.
He said: “I’m only really 60 games in [to my career]. I’ve always thought with centre-halves, when I used to watch as a fan, their best came towards their late 20s, so there’s a long way to go.
“I’m just pleased that I managed to get a full season and almost being able to learn on the job.”
But he is clear that the development phase is closing.
“I won’t get that privilege as much next season,” he added.
“The excuse of, ‘Oh, I’m young and I’m learning’. That’s not an excuse anymore. I’ve got to provide results.”
Gale also revealed he finished the campaign carrying a toe injury picked up against Cheltenham.
“It’s nothing serious,” he said. “It just needs to be rested, and then it’ll be fine in a few weeks.”
Despite the frustrations, Gale says there were positives in his consistency and involvement.
He said: “I think I missed one through suspension, a few through illness, and then the Barnet game through injury. Other than that, I’ve managed to pretty much be available all the time. It was a really positive season [for me].
“I felt like I played good football throughout but maybe could have been more consistent. Naturally, that comes with the team maybe lacking a bit of consistency.”
He also praised the influence of senior players in the dressing room, including defender Omar Beckles.
“Becks is really good,” said Gale. “I played a handful of games with him, and he picked up a little knock which kept him out.
“He’s really useful to have on and off the pitch, real guidance, a real calming head. He’s been there and done it. I think the stuff he does off the pitch as well, with the PFA, really helps to build the person that he is and he’s a really balanced person if you need advice. Not just football, he’s kind of a really good person to go to.
“Obviously, he’s only been around since January, so that just goes to show the impact he’s having. I’m looking forward to kind of playing with him next season and really trying to build a partnership with him.”
Despite the club’s struggles, Gale believes there is cause for optimism, particularly with the talent emerging from the academy.
He added: “I talk to the academy staff who coached me when I was younger, and they all seem to say that the academy’s getting stronger and stronger, and that they’re having players picked out of it by Category 1 clubs.
“That rarely happened when I was younger, coming through, and now it’s happening quite frequently. It shows the strength of the coaching and the quality coming through.”
And he hopes to be handing over the trophy he’s held for consecutive seasons, adding, “I was of the opinion that maybe once you win it once, you shouldn’t really be able to do it again. Hopefully, we’re talking about one of the young lads like Harry, or Sully, or someone like that winning it next year.
“There’s plenty of very good young players coming through, and young players at the club who are already playing a lot. The future’s bright on that aspect for the club.”
