Gillingham look to have struck gold for 2025 and beyond on Bradford City evidence | OneFootball

Gillingham have unearthed a diamond in the rough in the form of teenage forward Joe Gbode.

It’s been a season of few highlights for Gillingham Football Club, but despite the poor form, changing managers and occasional unrest between the fans and the players, a player has offered some hope for the future.

Teenager Joe Gbode has been one of the driving forces in Gillingham’s recent performances, and there’s much more to come from the 19-year-old striker.

Gbode has come up through the Gills’ youth and reserve ranks to earn a regular spot in the matchday squad at Priestfield, and has made 30 first-team appearances across all competitions already this season.

Joe Gbode’s contribution extends beyond the stats sheet

Twenty-six of those have come in League Two, and while his goal involvement stats on paper don’t suggest a huge amount of productivity – just one goal and one assist – his presence in the side has given a struggling side something it’s been desperately needing – energy.

Gbode’s pace and direct running have caused defences plenty of problems, particularly since John Coleman’s arrival as Gills boss. It looks like the former Accrington Stanley manager has given the young forward more confidence to just play off the cuff, and it’s starting to show in his performances.

Operating across the forward line - sometimes playing through the middle, sometimes working the flanks – Gbode has been a willing runner who has helped the team build more of a high-pressing game that has helped Coleman start to turn around the team’s below-par performances.

While the results have still been hard to come by, there’s no doubting the improvement in application and effort across the team, and Gbode’s boundless energy and willingness to chase lost causes has been a major contributor to that.

Bradford City performance encapsulated Gbode’s value to Gillingham

Gillingham’s last home game against promotion-chasing Bradford City was a perfect illustration of what Gbode brings to the team.

After spending much of the first half being forced to play with his back to goal and at times struggling to hold the ball up, Gbode came into his own the longer the game wore on. And, while the defenders were on top early on in the game, Gbode’s strength, conditioning and pace held strong throughout the game as he gradually turned the tables on the Bantams’ back line.

In the second half, Gbode wasn’t getting barged off the ball. He was hanging on to it, turning and running at defenders, and he scared the life out of them. The end product still needs work, but he earned set piece after set piece as throw-ins, corners and free kicks were earned as a direct result of his industry.

It all helped Gillingham set up camp in the Bradford half for most of the second period, and helped keep the pressure on the visitors, who eventually cracked when Conor Masterson swept home a corner to give Gillingham a huge 1-0 victory.

Finding Gbode’s best position will be key next season

For a player who has played more than two-thirds of Gillingham’s league games this season, it’s easy to forget that Gbode is still only 19 years of age. He’s still raw, and his game still needs plenty of refinement. But few players are close to the finished article when still in their teens, and Gbode’s displays have shown that there’s a tonne of potential waiting to be unlocked.

The first step will be to give him a specific role within the team. He’s been deployed in numerous roles across the team, but eventually, a young player needs to know what his true role is. Based on what we’ve seen so far, his best role looks to be as a wide man, with his ability to turn defenders and stretch the game arguably his best asset.

Playing on the right wing in a 4-3-3, or on the right side of midfield in a 4-4-2, would help bring the best out of Gbode’s game. His effort and willingness to track back will be valuable in both positions, while his pace and direct running will make him a threat in the opposition’s half.

With Gillingham looking set for a major summer reboot, with a host of out-of-contract players likely to depart the club in the summer, it will be very interesting to see how the club’s manager – whoever that turns out to be – opts to use Gbode in 2025/26.

And with another youngster, defender Sam Gale, enjoying a similar breakthrough this season, Gillingham will have two homegrown players who could both play a big part in the next era at Priestfield.