Gillingham head to Fleetwood Town this weekend looking to continue their perfect start to the new SKYBet League Two season with winger Jack Nolan keen to keep winning.

Nolan has been one of the main influences as the Gills have made the great start, and it was his turn to speak to KSN this week at the media briefing. 

Nolan spent the last three years playing at Accrington Stanley – a long way from his Hampshire roots. “It’s a bit of a strange one really,” Nolan agreed.

“I ended up three years ago now, but did not play too many games at the start. Last season though all just clicked for me as a couple of injuries fell in place and that was my chance to step up.” 

“When I first heard about the interest from Gillingham, I was quite intrigued to hear about the project. For me, the attraction of being back near my home (Nolan was born in Portsmouth) was massive as well – to be back near my family as well.”

“So, when I found out about the interest, I had the conversation with the Gaffer, Mark Bonner, and my mind was made up really, and it was pretty quick really.”

“The Gaffer’s been brilliant – he’s very clear in the ways that he puts his ideas across to me and the others players, you can see that, it’s very clear the way that he is putting his ideas across and in a way it puts pressure on us as players to go and perform not only for him, but for the rest of the coaching staff.”

“They have been brilliant with us with their detail and everything; we always go onto the pitch knowing what’s expected of us I think it’s fair to say!” 

The Gills face a long trip north this weekend, but as someone who has spent the last three seasons travelling the other way, we finished by asking Nolan which way he “preferred to travel”!

“Probably North to South,” he joked “as you come back down! Last Saturday at Morecambe was an absolute nightmare (the Gills team coach took over eight hours to reach the team hotel on Friday afternoon), but I suppose either way it is not nice I suppose.”

“The best thing for me is that playing here, I am closer back to home now which is better. You cannot get away from the travelling, so you have just got to take it really!”

“Every game is near enough “up north”, but it is a chance for us as a team to bond a bit more, and hopefully that will put us in good stead as well.”  

The Rainham End have already tweaked a chant the England fans used during the summer to pay homage to their new hero. To the tune of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, the Gills faithful sing, “Can’t start a fire, can’t start a fire without a spark, Jack Nolan’s on fire, and he’s playing Swindon off the park!”

“It’s great,” Nolan admitted. “I was at Accrington for three years and I did not get a song; here six weeks and I have. For me coming in as a new player to hear that is amazing – hopefully, I will be able to score a few and hear it a few more times!”