Gillingham welcome Barrow to MEMS Priestfield this weekend and young defender Sam Gale has been reflecting on how 2025 began with him contemplating a move to ending with him firmly established in the Gills first team. 

Speaking to KSN this week, Gale told us, “Twelve months ago, I had six months left on my deal and I was ready to leave the Club!” 

“The truth is that I thought I was done here – not in terms of what the Club thought, but in terms of me thinking that I was a long, long way away from being able to affect things and the first team environment.”

“I couldn’t have even dreamed that the last twelve months would have turned out the way that they have.”

“I wouldn’t have changed it for anything – I don’t think that it could have gone any better. The Club have supported me, the people around me have supported me really well and enabled me to have this run in the team from December to December and I have really enjoyed it!” 

“We’re confident going into the weekend. I know we’ve drawn the last four but it does show that we are tough to beat again as we were on that long unbeaten run that we had back end of last season going into this, but it’s weird in the fact that if we’d have won two and lost two of the four we would have had more points than we’ve got!”

“But confidence wise, I do think that we are better off with the four draws and we take that confidence into Barrow.”

“We know that it will be a tough game and they will be up for it; they have just had a change of manager, so we know that they will come here motivated and we will have to match their enthusiasm.”

“We will always back ourselves though to get the three points!” 

“Of course there is frustration in the draws. I think last week, us and Colchester – two good sides – cancelled each other out, and you can put that down to a good point on the road, but Shrewsbury was more frustrating.”

“We showed that we were more than capable of getting three points there with our second half performance, but unfortunately, we had given ourselves too much of a mountain to climb.”

“So, there is frustration in there but ultimately, we are showing good resilience and if we can now turn that into three points into a healthier position in the table.” 

“We’re just outside the Play Offs at the moment and at any time of the season, to be within touching distance of them – and the promotion places – is a positive sign.”

“This League is so tight – just look at the results Tuesday night as I don’t think anyone really gained significant ground on us, but it’s just madness with points that are being dropped by teams that you would assume would win.”

“It just shows that in this League everyone can beat everyone else so to be in touching distance of the Play Offs in a League that is so tight, is very positive!”

To highlight Gale’s comments, a win on Saturday could lift Gareth Ainsworth’s side into fifth from their current eighth place – defeat however could see them drop to as low as thirteenth!