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Gillingham striker Tom Eaves says no point leaving Priestfield in January transfer window

Tom Eaves was glad to see the back of the transfer window and thrilled to find the back of the net.

He scored Gills’ late equaliser at Coventry from the penalty spot, in a week where his future had been up in the air.

Eaves was subject to two bids on transfer deadline day, from at least one League 1 side, but he was happy to still be wearing Gillingham colours.

Tom Eaves slots home the penalty for Gillingham on Saturday Picture: Ady Kerry
Tom Eaves slots home the penalty for Gillingham on Saturday Picture: Ady Kerry

“I am delighted to be back on the scoresheet,” said Eaves, after scoring his first since mid-December.

“It was nice to be a penalty as well. I feel like I work hard enough to deserve the penalty and to take it.”

High-flyers Sunderland were interested in Eaves but he is now free to focus on the rest of the season with Gillingham.

He said: “The chairman made it straight forward. He said there were offers but we both deemed it pointless to go at this time.

“I am just happy to stay, I am playing every game and I am scoring, again. I am happy to be here.”

Eaves was sat at home with his partner drinking hot chocolate while everyone else speculated over his future on Thursday night.

He said: “Sometimes if you start thinking about other things you can start slipping. It is not good for you mentally and I was kind of glad to see the back of it, to just get rid of the window.

“People were stopping me in the street and saying ‘what’s going on?’.

“I was in a bit of limbo, it was very speculative. You hear things and other people seemed to know more than I did.

“The tweets I was getting were outrageous, telling me about offers and I’m thinking ‘where you hearing this?!’ The chairman said he had two offers and I think they were League 1.

“I was watching (the deadline day news) and True Detective as well! A few times the phone went but anything that was happening was happening late and at the end of the day I am a Gillingham player.

“I am here now and focused on giving everything for this club.

“I didn’t really see the point of going to another League 1 club when I am happy playing every week and scoring and my missus is down here with me, she has a job and I am happy.”

He scored his 16th goal of the season on Saturday but he had to be patient.

Keeper Lee Burge committed the foul on Brandon Hanlon inside the box but then took an age to get back on his feet following physio treatment.

“Absolutely nothing was going through my head,” said Eaves.

“I blanked it out. I picked a spot in my head and I didn’t change my mind, that was it. I just put myself in a different place.

“I knew where I was going, especially off the back of the last penalty I took (missing at Scunthorpe). It was good to redeem myself and I always have confidence to put it away.

“There was elation and personally I was just over the moon to get back on the scoresheet.”

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