“It’s a massive season,” Gillingham’s Matty Willock is just one player who cannot wait for the new season to begin.
Willock, who was side-lined through injury for long periods last season is raring to go for the Gills sky bet League One kick off this weekend with Hull City at Priestfield.
He has been talking ahead of the new season’s start, and has admitted that he’s been getting some family advice as to what to expect from an empty stadium.
Brother Joe was involved in the end of Arsenal’s Premier League season, was a substitute in last months FA Cup Final and came on in the recent Community Shield and has been “briefing” his brother on what to expect.
“He admitted that having no fans in felt a bit different,” Willock told us, “He said it was different with them not being there, but he did say that once the games started and everyone needs points, desperate to win you just forget about it and have to focus on the game.”
“I managed to just get fit before COVID, I’d just got fit and played ninety minutes in the Senior Cup, and then they stopped the season. The fitness staff sent me an extra individual programme to work on during Lockdown for my hamstrings so I was able to work a lot at home to make sure that when we came back there will hopefully be no problems this season as it’s a massive season.
“To really strengthen up and be ready to go. I was really hard last year as, as a player when you’re not able to train because of injuries that are the worst thing in football that I’ve experienced.
“I have to admit that I found it very difficult at times but I just had to keep going and working hard in the gym with the fitness staff,” said Willock reflectively, “but I’m here now so I’m a lot happier and ready to go.”
“The squad this year has similarities to last year, everyone wants to work hard; everyone wants to achieve the same goals; everyone wants to run for each other, I think that the Gaffer signs players of players of that nature who are going to want to run around for the team and I think we’ve added even more quality than last season.”
“I’d watched Zech (Medley) and Trey (Coyle) play in the Arsenal youth teams with my brother, and before they came in, I spoke to Joe and asked what they were like as lads and as players and he told me that they were both really good players, Zech is a really strong lad, good on the ball and Trey’s creative – we’ve already seen he can score goals.”
“I think that we’ve got a lot of players now who want to get on the ball and play – who want to pass through the lads and really control games, so in terms of quality, I think the players who have come in have risen that level!”