Striker Damian Reeves has elected to re-sign for Conference North side Altrincham after playing for Gillingham against Dartford on Saturday.

The 26 year old, who scored 44 goals for Altrincham last season, had been expected to sign a deal for The Gills last week and had held talks with Gills boss Martin Allen over a proposed move.

Reeves then travelled down to Kent to play for Gillingham in their first pre-season friendly of the summer, away to Dartford, playing the first hour.

However, it turns out that after the game, he decided his future lay with his former club and has signed a two year deal with them.

Having signed for Altricham once again, Reeves told the club’s official website why he hadn’t agreed a deal with The Gills: “I’m just glad it is all sorted, and I can look forward to returning to Moss Lane, because I really have been passed from pillar to post during the summer. It has not been a pleasant experience at all.”

“At one point, everyone in the country seemed to think I was signing for Doncaster, and I thought I was, as well. But the goalposts kept moving, just as they did at Gillingham, and the whole thing turned into a bit of a nightmare. I was supposed to be signing for Gillingham last week, then the manager decided he wanted to see me in match action, so I headed down there on Saturday, thinking it would all be completed after the game.”

“I fitted in well with the rest of the lads, and Martin Allen said he was certain I would score goals in League Two. Rather than sign me there and then, though, he wanted me to go away for two weeks and work on my fitness. With the start of the season so close, that wasn’t what I wanted to hear, so after setting off on the journey home, I stopped halfway and told him I’d leave it.”

“To be honest, I think his plans had changed. He sold his keeper to a Premier League club and signed three new players on the Friday, and I can’t help thinking that had something to do with it.”

Despite signing for Altrincham, Reeves has confirmed that he could still end up in the Football League after agreeing a clause in his contract allowing him to leave on a free if a League club were to come calling:

“It would have to be a League club,” he stressed. “I wouldn’t leave Altrincham for another Conference club, not even in the Conference National, but I hope people can appreciate that I am still ambitious about playing in the Football League.”

“That’s why the clause is there, but I’m not even thinking of that now. I’m just glad it is all sorted out and I’m an Alty player again, and all I’m thinking of is pulling the jersey on again and trying to score even more goals than last season, if I possibly can.”

Meanwhile, Gillingham are believed to be hot on the heels of two as yet un-named Millwall players.