Gills welcome players back

Gillingham’s preparations for the 2020/21 season began in earnest on Tuesday.

Players returned to the club, four and a half months after the Covid-19 crisis forced them to down tools, with nine games left of the 19/20 campaign.

Boss Steve Evans has been itching to get what’s left of his squad together and that can now happen. The Gills are all systems go following news that the new season is due to begin on September 12.

Gills’ last league game was on Saturday, March 7, a 2-2 draw at Sunderland. Their game the following week was suspended and days later the players were sent home from training ahead of a national lockdown. Players returned for face to face meetings with Evans in June, as the manager informed them who was and who wasn’t part of his plans going forward, but apart from that they’ve had to keep on top of their fitness remotely.

Evans has a much-trimmed squad to work with to start and any training over the next few days will take place with strict Covid-19 protocols in place. There are plans for a training camp, with Evans checking out facilities in France and also considering a trip to Scotland.

His first summer recruit Ryan Jackson bolsters a threadbare squad that numbers only 10 senior contracted players although midfielder Mark Byrne is expected to take part in pre-season as he looks to win a new deal. He ended the 2019/20 season recovering from injury.

Two of Evans’ squad, Lee Hodson and Barry Fuller, have been told they are free to look elsewhere for football. Hodson was a target for St Mirren.