With Gillingham’s start to the new season now less than ten days away, defender Andy Smith has been talking to KSN about the months ahead as the young defender starts the new campaign in hope and good spirits. 

“We can’t wait to get started,” Smith told us as the Gills players have now started the final countdown of days until they kick-off in the Carabao Cup against Luton Town on Saturday week.

“It’s been a tough pre-season, and we have been worked really hard, but now that first game of the season is getting closer. I am really looking forward to getting started now.” 

“In our last two games – against Millwall and Brentford – we certainly have learnt a lot; they were both really tough tests against a Championship side, a B team from the Premier League,” Smith went on.

“It was nice to get back out Priestfield in front of our own fans, to be back in the stadium. We learnt a lot of things in and out of possession against Millwall – playing with new faces as well is a good thing.”

“Last weekend we went to face Brentford’s B team at their training ground and that was a new experience as well. It was a different test to the one that both Charlton and Millwall had given us – we played well, but now going forward we have to deal with different scenarios and we know how to deal with things that different teams and different outfits might throw at us!” 

“I feel like as a side and the players that we have, we should be able to change formations when we need to. We may have to change throughout the season as we see fight to be able to challenge an opposition, it’s something that you get used to as a footballer – you never know what game you’ll have to play what way; you might have to do it (change shape) and it’s been good changing the shapes as we have done in pre-season.” 

“Of course, there are certain shapes that suit individual players better than others as it matches their strengths rather than weaknesses.”

“There are of course other formations where you can’t show as much of your strengths as you might otherwise like to, but for me I’m comfortable with most of them so long as I am playing at the back and that’s all that matters to me!” 

Omar Beckles was signed at the tail end of last season, but injury restricted his appearances in Gillingham blue, but Smith is clearly relishing playing with the former Leyton Orient man.

“He has bags and bags of experience and is a great voice on the pitch. Unfortunately, because of his injury last season, we weren’t able to play alongside each other as much as we would like; he is brilliant to play with just as all the lads are to be fair, but Omar, especially with his experience, is a leader out there and he offers me a lot!” 

We then asked Smith about Gareth Ainsworth’s new number two – Steven Craig – and Smith told us, “We weren’t sure where the Gaffer was going to go for his new assistant in the off-season, but just in what I have seen so far, Stevie is a great addition to the Club and it’s also great to see the Gaffer looking so fit and healthy too.”

“We definitely missed him when he was unwell last season – we certainly missed him, but he’s great, he’s back, he’s pushing us every day in training full of energy and positivity as he always is; it really is great to have him back to full fitness!”