Gillingham academy players have stepped up this season with Sam Gale a regular and Sullivan Booth making a dramatic first-team debut – Academy boss Bryan Bull reflects on a positive season at youth level

Gillingham academy manager Bryan Bull has hailed the club’s emerging youngsters after they provided positives from an otherwise disappointing season at Priestfield.

While the Gills fell short of expectations at first-team level, the academy continued to produce players capable of stepping up into senior football, with 13 youngsters featuring in competitive action during the campaign.

Bull reflected positively on the impact made by the club’s homegrown talent.

“From an academy point of view [it was an] absolutely brilliant [season],” he said.

“We would have much rather that was in the context of a successful season at first-team level, and obviously we haven't quite got to where we want to get, but from an academy perspective I was very pleased.”

Defender Sam Gale completed his first full season as a regular in the first team after progressing through the youth ranks, while former academy graduate Bradley Dack was named player-of-the-season. Striker Joe Gbode earned a move to Luton Town early on in the campaign.

Bull added: “We've had Sam [Gale] coming all the way through [the youth academy] and playing the vast majority of the season [for the first team].

“Bradley [Dack] has come back and although it’s a while ago in academy terms, we still claim him.

“Joe Gbode started the season with us and obviously went to Luton, and there was some income to come along from that as well, which is of course, always helpful.”

The academy also enjoyed a memorable night in the Vertu Trophy when a youthful Gillingham side beat Fulham Under-21s 4-1, with academy players providing goals and assists.

Bull said: “[That was] a wonderful evening for us as an academy and all in all, a very successful season, 90 starts amongst those players,