Former Bradford midfielder ready to face his former club at ME7.
Timothee Dieng has enjoyed being back on the grass after a ligament injury saw him sidelined back in September; since recovery he has been making up for lost time with some colossal performances.
The classy midfielder confessed that life is lonely in the treatment room but as you can see with his recent displays on the pitch, he has come back stronger.
Ahead of this weekend's fixture with the Frenchman's former club, Bradford City, he spoke with the local press.
"I love to play football," said Dieng. "When I can't play, it is frustrating. I'm buzzing to be playing again, being injured was a tough time. Being injured is the worst part of being a footballer. When I was tackled I thought I would be out for six months, so it could have been worse. I have been through it and now I am feeling better every day. I am fully fit and ready for the weekend.
"It's lonely when you are in the gym with the physio and you see the players go off and train. It's hard when you are just left in the gym doing exercises, but you have to do it. I kept in mind that it was temporary and I focused on getting back as soon as possible and in the best shape.
"We are doing well. We need to keep the momentum going. We had Barrow last weekend but the game got cancelled. We were already making the trip and we were in Rugby. The game got called off so we turned around and went back home! We rested and then had two big sessions on Monday and Tuesday."
Dieng is now eager to add more points to the Gills tally. The team enter the festive fixtures looking to climb further up the table and the next opponent is the Bantams. Dieng admitted that there is always extra incentive against a former side.
"When you play against one of your old clubs, you want to have a good game," he said. "You want to impress their fans and the team. I scored against them last year and hopefully I am going to score against them again on Saturday.
"I have great memories of playing for Bradford, they are a big club. I had a really good time there and we were doing quite well. We went to the play-off finals and lost to Neil Harris' Millwall. I had a good time at Bradford and they are a special club for me. But there are no friends in football and when I cross the white line it will be a fight."