Gillingham youngster Harry Waldock will return from his summer break full of confidence after a breakthrough campaign – but knows he still has plenty to prove.
The 19-year-old academy graduate made seven appearances in League 2 after breaking into the first-team picture under boss Gareth Ainsworth towards the back end of the season.
Waldock appeared in all three of Gillingham’s Vertu Trophy matches before making his Football League debut in March during Gills’ 5-0 defeat at Cambridge United.
Despite the team’s struggles, the midfielder kept his
place and started six league games before the end of the campaign.
Now enjoying his summer rest – and trying to improve his golf game – Waldock says he is determined to build on the experience when pre-season begins.
He said: “I know that there’s going to be big competition for places in the team, not only with the amount of players we have, but with the quality of players we have.
“Coming back in and trying to impress in pre-season is quite an important thing for me.
“Realistically, I know I’m still young, I’m still young in the game. So, to try and show him (Ainsworth) what I can do in pre-season is one of the main ways I feel I can show my abilities.
“Once the season comes around, if I have a good pre-season, you never know what can happen.”
Waldock insists his mentality will remain unchanged despite his first taste of League football.
He added: “Last year, I still had the same mindset. I went into pre-season thinking that ‘this is my opportunity to show the management team what I can do and what I’m about’.
“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be thinking the same.
“It’s not that I should be thinking that I’ve already made my stand and I’m fine now. I still need to prove why I should be in and around the team.”
Waldock has been with Gillingham since the age of 11 and says the academy system helped prepare him for the setbacks he faced during the season.
A loan spell at Whitehawk brought limited opportunities before a productive period at Cray Wanderers helped accelerate his development.
“The loan to Cray was the main period of the season that helped me so much,” he said.
“I was just playing men’s football continuously, getting 90 minutes all the time.
“I found the biggest thing was how important three points were.
“As a scholar, you’re obviously playing for development. As you go into the men’s game, getting three points becomes massive, no matter how well you play.
“Physically, tactically and psychologically, I feel like I’ve improved in all aspects.”
Waldock suffered an ankle injury while at Cray and expected to return there after recovering – before receiving a surprise recall from Gillingham.
Just days later, he was told he would be starting against Cambridge.
“It was not expected, but I was grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
“It was quite a proud moment for me because I found myself in a situation I’d never really experienced before, coming into a League 2 game against a Cambridge team who were flying at the time.
“It was a disappointing day because of the result, but still a really proud moment for me.”
Waldock says the support from senior players helped him settle into first-team football during a difficult spell for the club.
“As a first-year scholar, I was cleaning Jonny Williams’ boots, so I automatically had quite a close bond with him and he helped me massively,” he said.
“People like Garath McCleary, Bradley Dack and Armani Little have all guided me and shown me different things they’ve learned throughout their careers.
“After the Cambridge game, Garath McCleary and Bradley Dack came up to me and said, ‘Don’t worry about it, you should be proud of what you’ve done’.
“It’s really important having them around.”
Waldock also paid tribute to his family, who have followed him around the country since joining the club’s academy.
“Mum, dad, my sister, nans and grandads have come to literally all of my games since I was about 11,” he said.
“When it comes to them seeing me make my debut, it makes you realise their dedication has proven its worth. They were all absolutely buzzing for me.”
The teenager also hopes his progress can inspire the next group of academy players pushing for senior opportunities at Priestfield.
He said: “I’ve seen Sam Gale come through, so I knew it was possible, along with other players like Joe Gbode.
“Now I’ve been able to introduce myself into the first team and get the manager’s trust. That’s massive because he’ll also be able to look at other young players and we’ve got such a strong academy.
“You only need to look at Sulli Booth and how he’s come into the team and done brilliantly.”
