Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth calls on his players to work harder and unlock career potential

Manager Gareth Ainsworth has challenged his Gillingham players to seize the moment and maximise their potential as professional footballers.

Ainsworth has urged some of his squad to raise standards on and off the pitch, warning they are “so close” to turning their careers into something special if they fully commit.

Speaking this week, he had a message to some of his undperforming players, saying: “Get on that training ground and be the absolute best you can be, live right, eat right, get in the gym, make sure that you're not flagging after 80 minutes, make sure that you can win every tackle, every header, you jump high, you sprint quick.

“Watch videos on your positions, about where you could be and how you could be better, all these things, because you're so close to a brilliant career, a life-changing career.

“You go to the next level, and you can earn some serious life-changing money and then the next level, wow, the Championship.

“I want them to realise how close they are, they're good lads, they're professional footballers, but they’ve got to be better sometimes.”

Ainsworth is working towards a two-year plan at Gillingham where he hopes to improve the fortunes of the club.

Looking ahead to the short-term, they still have eight games left of a disappointing 2025/26 season. The Gills have lost their last four.

“We've got to find a way,” Ainsworth said, ahead of a weekend trip to relegation-threatened Crawley.

“We've got to scrap, you've got to be the best you can possibly be, you've got to be in the gym most days, you've got to be eating right, sleeping right, you've got to be living and dying for this shirt and this badge on your chest.

“If you don't, then you're cheating the fans, you're cheating the club. I don't