Manager Neil Harris wants more leadership from his Gillingham team as they fight for survival in League 1

Gillingham manager Neil Harris has called for more leaders from within his squad ahead of a make or break week.

With captain Stuart O’Keefe struggling with an injury of late, Harris wants to see others stepping up to help, on and off the pitch. The Gills need a positive result against Rotherham United on Saturday in their final game to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

Speaking after the 3-1 weekend loss to Portsmouth, Harris said: “It can’t be me that keeps coming in and picking them up. I can’t be the one to keep galvanising them individually and collectively, I can’t keep using propaganda.”

Heading into the weekend just gone, Harris reminded the players that their form since he arrived as manager was that of a mid-table team.

But he said: “I can’t keep using that, they have to find some leadership from within, they can’t just rely on Stuart O’Keefe the whole time to be the only leader in the group, they have to find it themselves.

“My challenge to them is, find the character within the group, within the changing room themselves, find some belief and confidence going into next week’s game.

LISTEN: Hear from @TheGillsFC's boss Neil Harris who was hugely disappointed by his team's performance in their defeat at Portsmouth #kmfmnews https://t.co/ouEC1XVOCK

“I will come in Monday (today) morning ready to fight, ready to scrap, for my players and my football club and they need to find that as a group as well, that is my challenge to them.

“We stand as a team, and frustrated we are not out of the bottom four, but we still have a chance, believe it or not, and the whole Football League probably can’t believe it, but a chance to stay in the division next week.

“I have challenged them to come in on Monday to show me that