Gillingham midfielder Ben Thompson is enjoying his football again after a frustrating end to his time at old club Millwall.

Thompson ended a decade at Millwall - the team he supports - in a bid to get playing again and he’s become a key man for the Gills in a short space of time, showing improvements week on week as his match fitness returns.

He reckons the Gills fans still haven’t seen the best of him and with games now in the tank he’s feeling good.

“I am enjoying football again,” said the all-action midfielder.

“The last six months have been tough, with not being involved and not being in squads and sitting around doing nothing really, just training. I just want to play and enjoy my football and that is what I am doing here.

“I am enjoying every minute of it, playing football again, we have a tough task on our hands but I am relishing it.

“The other night (against AFC Wimbledon) was the most comfortable I had felt on the pitch since joining. It takes a few games to get into the rhythm again and it has been a while since I have played three games in a week. I feel fit, I feel sharp, I think I have still got more to give, (I want to) add some goals and assists to my name and help push the team up the table.”

It was quite a coup for the Gills to clinch Thompson’s signature but with his former boss Neil Harris instilled as manager it made the decision to head down the A2 an easier one.

Thompson said: “He (Harris) has been a big part of my career so far. On and off the pitch, he is a great guy and a top manager.

“His door is always open if you have any issues, he looks after his players and does the right things and he is a top, top man.”

Thompson believes the rest of the team are also enjoying working under the new man and are seeing improvements on the pitch.

He said: “He has had experience of Cardiff now as well [Harris managed the Welsh side after Millwall], managing at that level, he has got new ideas and new things to add at training and the boys have picked up on it massively, they are taking in the information and getting better every game.

“The boys are onboard with the manager, they are a great group, they are giving it their all every minute of every game, as am I, the group is the best we can have in this situation.”

With the Gills still five points off safety, there are plenty that have written off the club’s chances of survival. Inside the changing room there is belief they can survive.

“You want to prove people wrong,” he said. “People can write us off all they want, we will just go and get as many points as we can, push up as high as we can and we will be fine.”

Thompson agreed a deal at Gills until the end of the season, having negotiated a termination of his old contract with the Lions. He’s sure to be a player in demand this summer but that’s not on his mind right now.

“I have not thought about that at all,” he said.

“Since joining, my one aim is to help Gillingham stay up in League 1 and focus on playing games again, getting my sharpness and fitness back, I have not thought ahead.”

Harris was asked about Thompson’s progress during his weekly press conference and wasn’t surprised to see how well the player had done so far.

The Gills boss said: “He has got better with each appearance because he is getting fitter. He hasn’t played a lot of football over the last 18 months, he has come to play for me and for Gillingham until the end of the season and to see where it takes him.

“He has shown his qualities, not just his ability with and without the ball, but the way he puts himself about, out-jumping centre halves for headers.

“He is the type of player fans want to see here, that sort of hustle and bustle energy, he gives everything, he can get past three players and have a shot, gives it away but gets it back, that is what this club is about, we have some players in the team who epitomise that and he has fitted really well in the group.”