Defender Will Wright admits there is extra pressure on him to get the set-pieces right but hasn’t being doing too bad so far.

Not many central defenders step up for regular deadball duties but it’s an asset Gillingham fans have been seeing plenty of from Wright in recent weeks.

Gills’ first goal of the season came from one of Wright's free-kick and he’s been on them much more often recently, winning the trust of his team-mates after scoring direct from outside the box against Brighton in the EFL Trophy and providing assists for Lewis Walker and Elkan Baggott in the last two matches.

“I wouldn’t say I am a specialist but I am trying,” said the 25-year-old. “As a kid everyone wants to be a striker and that’s where I started and then gradually moved further back, I have always enjoyed striking a football.

"I remember at (previous club) Dagenham just after training I would drop a ball down when I wasn’t in the team and I would hit a few bags of balls with free-kicks. I said to the wingers at the time, 'I get one chance, if I balloon it or hit the ball over the bar people will be moaning and saying why is a centre-back taking free-kicks?, whereas a winger can hit 10 over the bar and he is still expected to take it.'

“There was a game when we were 4-0 up against Aldershot at home, there was a free-kick right on the edge of the box, I chatted to the boys and said ‘we’re 4-0 up, can I have a go?’ Luckily for me it went straight into the top corner. I scored another (against Ebbsfleet United) then evolved into corners and I’ve carried on for the last four years.”

With fellow free-kick taker Ben Reeves injured, Wright has had more opportunities with free-kicks at Gills.

He said: “I still get the shout now when we go to opposing grounds, when you run to the corner, they are saying ‘why is the centre-half taking it? he should be in the box’, but we do mix it up.

"Alex MacDonald can take a good ball from his right foot, Shaun Williamson the other side and Reevesy, it is nice to mix it up. At the moment I am getting some assists and we are getting some joy from my deliveries, so hopefully that continues.”

When he’s not taking the free-kicks and corners, the manager would like to see the 6ft 3inch defender getting on the end of the crosses himself, something he is working on.

“To be honest, I have not got enough contacts (on the ball) myself when I have been attacking,” he said. “It is definitely something I need to add to my game, I have not scored enough headers in my career, it is something we are actively working on.”

Wright hasn’t been afraid to take on penalty duties as well, being the number three kicker in the shoot-out cup wins over Exeter and Colchester. He netted them both and is always confident from 12 yards.

“I used to take them years ago,” he said. “The year I got the move from Hitchin to Colchester, I scored five (playing for the under-23s). I remember there was no name on the board for the penalties so I quickly popped my hand up and managed to get them. I missed one early but then scored five, it is something I have always enjoyed doing.

“I feel like I am quite composed. There is nothing better than scoring goals and they don’t come much easier than a one-versus-one penalty, as long as you execute your technique you have quite a good chance.”

Gills boss Neil Harris lets the players decide among themselves who takes the penalties but they’ve yet to be awarded one in normal time this season.

“I will definitely be in the ear of Stuart O'Keefe (the captain) and Willo (the assistant), trying to get myself on them!” he said.

With his current form, he is earning the respect of those around him, in what is his first taste of playing in the Football League.

“It is nice to earn that respect,” he said. “It was something I wanted to do instantly when I came into the building, even pre-season, which is why it was frustrating to pick up that little niggle I had, you want to stamp your mark as quickly as possible, just at the moment things seem to be going my way and hopefully that can continue.

“I think it is starting to come together for me now, which is nice, it hasn’t taken too long, maybe a bit longer than I hoped, but that is three assists now and one goal in the cup. It’s nice for me to add those tallies to my game, we are up to six clean sheets (in all competitions) so at the other end I have not done too bad as well.

“We are hard to beat now, we went through the stage where we weren’t quite sticking the ball in the back of the net and it then became important we weren’t conceding at the other end. We have gone through a patch of clean sheets and now we are putting the ball it the net and it is on us back lot again to keep it out of the net again, because at the moment we know we are going to score, and if we can keep clean sheets we can get wins.”