Gillingham midfielder Stuart O'Keefe upbeat ahead of a return to training this week

Stuart O’Keefe doesn’t know if he’ll have the captaincy at Gillingham next season - but the armband won’t change anything.

His qualities shone through last season in a squad manager Neil Harris admitted lacked leadership. Adding some clout in the changing room is something the Gills boss is working on - his first summer signing, Will Wright, emphasised that.

Since then Harris has added experienced midfielder Shaun Williams to the squad along with a young Dom Jefferies, who captained Brentford's B side last season. Wright wore the armband at Dagenham.

O’Keefe, 31, was made Gills captain by Harris when Kyle Dempsey jumped ship for Bolton mid-season last term. He was one of few that impressed during a dreadful campaign and ended the season taking the supporters’ player-of-the-year award.

He said: “Everyone knows what kind of person I am, what I can bring to the changing room on and off the pitch, if I have the armband then great but whether I do or don’t I can be a captain in other ways.

“The player-of-the-year award was a nice touch, it was nice that my performances were appreciated.”

Harris is clearly a big fan of O’Keefe and there is plenty of mutual respect. He’s confident the Gills boss can put together a competitive team this summer.

He said: “I play most weeks, the gaffer made me captain last year and personally it is a good place for me. It would be nice to get something positive out of Gillingham because it hasn’t been positive for the last year, 18 months.

“It is not going to be easy but there is a chance there for us, with the management we have and the way we finished the last season, with our results, we can definitely have positive thoughts to have a successful season.”

Dropping out of League 1 was O’Keefe’s