Harry Waldock reflected on what has been a whirlwind week as the academy graduate made his home league debut in the 2-0 defeat against Swindon Town on Tuesday night.
The young midfielder was recalled from his loan at Cray Wanderers last Friday, and has since gone on to start the last two league games, impressing manager Gareth Ainsworth and the Gillingham supporters.
Waldock discussed the Gillingham performance, which was an improved response following the defeat at Cambridge, but he knows that the team has to be better in both boxes if they are to turn their fortunes around.
The 19-year-old touched upon the step up from the Isthmian Premier Division to League Two, and how he has leant on the advice given to him by the senior pros in the squad in helping him to settle in.
On the performance...
We're all disappointed with the result; losing 2-0 isn't what we think we deserved from the game. We created so many opportunities, and they obviously took theirs. If we continue to play like that throughout the rest of the season, we will pick up results. It is about being clinical in front of goal, and it is the moments in the game that we need to be better at.
If we can work on being better in both boxes, then we will pick up results.
Making it into the first-team and his journey through the academy...
It has been a bit of a whirlwind, really. I was with Cray and played my last game about three weeks ago, and was in and around training, and I ended up getting recalled, and then put straight into the team on Saturday. I appreciate the Gaffer doing that for me, giving me the opportunity to do that. My aim now is to try and stay in the team and keep my standards to the highest of my ability.
I joined when I was 11, and kept on going up through the age groups. I got my squad number when I was 16, and then, at the start of this year, signed my first pro contract. I just want to keep pushing on now.
Making the step up and leaning on the senior pros around him...
I think that going out on loan has really helped me because I was able to build my confidence up, and I thought that I am going to go straight into this. It is a different game. The intensity is quicker; everything about it is so much quicker. To be fair, I think that I have come in and done well.
People like Dacky [Bradley Dack] help every day. On Saturday, for example, he came up to me before the game and gave me so much advice because he has done exactly what I have done. He has come through the academy and made his debut. People like him, and you have the other senior pros like Vokesy [Sam Vokes], G-Mac [Garath McCleary] and Jonny Williams. They all give you that advice, and they have helped me settle into the team quicker than I expected, really.
