Midfielder Danny Jackman has told KSN how he is gutted to have left The Gills after two spells at the club.

The 30 year old was told under new manager Martin Allen he was surplus to requirements at Priestfield, just weeks after signing a new deal at the club.

Since then, Jackman has featured just 14 times this season with his last game coming against Southend United on New Year’s Day.

Voted “Player of the Season” last year, Jackman has been a fan’s favourite in his two spells at the club, but now leaves to join Conference Premier side Kidderminster Harriers on an 18 month deal.

Speaking to KSN, Jackman told of how he believed the move to Kidderminster was right for him given his position at the club where he wasn’t likely to get a look in:

“You get to the point where you realise you want to play football somewhere and I was getting limited chances at The Gills. It’s frustrating, but sometimes you realise you have got to cut your losses, get out and get some games.”

“I’m not getting any younger, plus it’s an exciting prospect of getting a local team that I live by into the League.”

Jackman was given the chance to leave Gillingham on loan in October until the end of the season, but that deal didn’t happen and since then he has been told in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t required at Priestfield and that he could find another club.

Sitting on the sidelines wasn’t an option for Jackman and he joins Jack Payne and Connor Essam having left the club in the past week.

“I must have turned into a bad player over the summer.” said Jackman. “At the end of the day, football is all about opinions and unfortunately the manager had his own ideas and I fully respect that.”

“You just hope you can prove people wrong, but it wasn’t to be and I wouldn’t have loved anything more than to get the club up to League One.”

“I wish the players, the Chairman and the fans all the best this season and they get what they want this season, which is promotion.”

“I was aware of my situation from the get go. It was frustrating as I had signed my contract extension and I was looking forward to the new season, then you get the bombshell.”

“That’s football and that’s life. I feel when I have played that I warranted a run in the team which is what every player wants.”

“You can’t come in and pull up trees, you need a run of games and I’m bitterly disappointed to be leaving the club in the position where they are.”

“It hurts, but there’s not much I can do about it and it was out of my hands.”

Jackman will now join up with former Gillingham defender Josh Gowling at Kidderminster Harriers and is delighted to have found a club close to home in Worcester with his young family:

“There was interest from other clubs and from within the league, but I’ve always stated that I wanted to come back to the Midlands and I didn’t want to be one of these players turning up at the club on my last legs.”

“I want to help the club get promoted back to the league and that’s my aim. With the manager and the squad we’re quite capable of being able to do that.”

“With my experience, hopefully we can get promotion this year, if not, we will go again next year.”

“The manager was really passionate about how he wants to play and was enthusiastic about getting me in and as a player you want to play for a manager that backs you to the hilt.”

Many Gillingham fans have already expressed their opinion that Jackman should have been given more chance at Gillingham and if having left should be staying in the league, with the midfielder telling KSN there was interest from League clubs. but none suited him geographically:

“I had offers from league clubs, but I have lived away from home for a long time now and Kent is a good three and half hours away for me.”

“My family is growing up fast and my little one starts school in September, so that was always in the back of my mind and I didn’t want to be going to a club for a year and then uprooting them again.”

“That would have been a bit selfish of me.”

“I back myself ability wise to still be playing league football and hopefully I can help Kidderminster get promoted this season. Admittedly I would have liked to have been doing that at Gillingham, but it wan’t meant to be.”

Read part two of our exclusive interview with Danny Jackman on his time at Gills, his love for the fans and what happens behind the scenes at the club in the coming days.