New Gillingham number nine Will Goodwin has been talking to KSN ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Fleetwood Town at Highbury Stadium and the new striker can’t wait to get going properly. 

After the disappointment of losing to Luton Town in the Carabao Cup, last weekend’s defeat to Walsall couldn’t have been more different to the Cup exit.

Against the Hatters, the Gills were well beaten 3-0, and although Walsall won by the same scoreline, the Gillingham performance gave genuine hope to the Priestfield faithful, with Goodwin himself desperately unlucky with two efforts in particular, that came back off the woodwork! 

“After doing so well, the last part of Saturday was disappointing for all of us,” the Gills new man told us.

“I do think that we were the better side until their first goal which came out of the blue a little bit. If we could have only put one or two of our chances away earlier in the game, it would have been a different result at the end of course, but we really have been working hard to put that right in training this week and we are all raring to go for Saturday!” 

“I hit the bar a couple of times and to be honest, if I wasn’t getting into those positions then I would be disappointed, I would be more worried!”

“On another day, two or three of my shots will go in… but as I said we’ve all been working very hard this week.” 

“I think that Fleetwood will be very direct – similar to us in the way that they will want to get it into the striker and get balls into our box.”

“We have some big lads at the back to hopefully deal with that so it should be a good game, and with a bit of extra determination from us from last week, there’s no reason that we can’t win the game.” 

“I’m settling in really well! We’ve a great group of lads, great staff – what brought me here? Probably the manager as I was really excited when I got the call that he was interested in signing me.”

“I like his style of play – I think with me being the big number nine for him; I think that’s the type of team that I want to be involved in. And he told me that players like Ronan (Hale) were going to be around me and James Brophy signed before me, so I am really excited!” 

“I had a presentation with all the staff which was really positive and they showed clips of me showing what they wanted of me from last season which was good as well.”

“It was good to see that they liked what I have already been doing and how I was playing which is how I had been playing!” 

We asked about being given the number nine shirt and Goodwin admitted, “I did want the number nine shirt – I think I made people aware of that but it was the manager who picked the numbers for us, which is something that I have not had before, I’ve usually had a bit of a say, but the manager decided and I was really happy!”