Home   Medway   Sport   Article

The Shouting Men column with Gillingham midfielder Josh Rees

Saturday’s game was really enjoyable to watch and imagining being involved gives you that ultra incentive to get back as quick as possible.

We look sharp going forward, attacking with a bit of pace and that is the kind of football I am used to. I like being around players with an intent to go forward.

Even when we they had a spell, after we took the lead, we looked defensively sound as well and showed a lot of discipline. Sometimes it can be easy just to go in wave after wave of attack but that just shows a good understanding of the game and how we have been drilled by the coaches over preseason.

Gillingham midfielder Josh Rees Picture: Andy Jones
Gillingham midfielder Josh Rees Picture: Andy Jones

There is a positive vibe around the place after our first two league games and I can’t wait to start playing.

I’m close to finishing my rehabilitation from an ankle injury picked up in training, when I went to cross the ball. The non-striking ankle planted but I think I got away with one because it could have been a lot worse.

Those innocuous injuries, where nobody else is around, they can be the worst, but I had an x-ray and that was fine and gradually it has got better. it is now just a matter of days before I am back training.

The injury has been annoying, because you build up the momentum throughout pre-season and I was really excited. I felt fit and ready but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be and I'm not going to lose too much fitness.

I played with Brandon Hanlan last season at Bromley and I know his qualities and what he can bring to the team. It was good to see those qualities on show against a team that came down from the Championship.

I believe I have qualities that I can bring to the table and I am confident that if I can get back fit then I can show some quality and hopefully also contribute.

We had a good team at Bromley last season. Louis Dennis was another in the team, who has moved to Portsmouth. The way we played was similar to what we are seeing from Gillingham now, in our attacking intent, playing with a lot of pace.

Last season at Bromley was their first as a full-time club and that was one of my aims, after leaving Chelmsford following our play-off defeat to Ebbsfleet. I had a really enjoyable season in terms of my football, one of my best, we had a great team. I did a bit of coaching at the same time but there is nothing better than waking up in the morning and having a purpose for the day and going into training.

I wanted to get back into full time football and Bromley came along. Sometimes with football it is about decisions and I think that was the right decision for me at the time. I had another good season and ended it playing at Wembley, in the FA Trophy final.

The experience was unbelievable, it was my first time playing at Wembley something I will never forget.

Defeat was hard to take because we had the game pretty much won until the last 10 seconds, when they scored, which was a sucker punch and then we lost on penalties, the worst way to lose a final.

There were mixed memories but there are a lot of positives to take.

We were beaten by Brackley and Gillingham fans will know the team very well. I knew a lot of the Brackley players, many who have played against Gills in the FA Cup, because we had played together at Nuneaton.

There are a good players at that level of non league. I have noticed the step up in quality since moving to Gillingham, the general overall quality is better and you have to adapt, which makes you a better player, but there are individuals playing non-league who have the ability. It is about having the contact time, better coaches and playing with better players and that brings out their quality is more.

It is something I am looking forward to, having the opportunity to play alongside some really good players that will help improve my game.

Read more from Josh, on life at Arsenal, in this week's Medway Messenger newspaper

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More