Gillingham’s substitutes’ bench should be the envy of League 2, says their manager Gareth Ainsworth.
The Gills have been beset by injuries in the opening few months of the season, but with players back available, it’s given Ainsworth some big selection headaches.
Gillingham’s bench for the weekend game at Bristol Rovers included Wigan loan winger Jonny Smith, back from injury and unused, as was former Premier League and Welsh international striker Sam Vokes.
Winger Garath McCleary, Bradley Dack, Aaron Rowe and Shad Ogie were used from the bench.
The Gills didn’t include another ex-Welsh international, Jonny Williams, in the squad, while captain Armani Little also missed out after picking up a knock the week before. Ex-Liverpool academy defender Conor Masterson is on the way back from injury to add extra options.
Ainsworth is delighted with those options and said: “I don't want to disrespect any team ever in the league, but when you've got Sam Vokes, Garath McCleary, Jonny Smith, Aaron Rowe, Shadrach Ogie and Bradley Dack. Wow. What a bench.
“The name Bradley Dack puts fear in you. Sam Vokes puts fear in you. Garath McCleary. These have played at a high level, so to have them in the Gillingham squad and to be able to rotate around like that, I think it's great.
“I'm putting on players like Bradley Dack. He's a hell of a player. Putting him on to see games out, which is fantastic.
“I said to the boys, ‘Our squad depth is something special as well’. Teams probably scramble for substitutes. I didn’t put Sam Vokes on and Jonny Smith, and they'd walk into most teams in this league.
“Do you know what? To mention all those boys as well, not one of them will look at me going, ‘I'm annoyed because I didn't get on, Gaffer’. They
Read more on kentonline.co.uk
kentonline.co.uk
