Will Wright is determined to make the most of his chance at Gillingham having encountered a few setbacks in the early stages of his career.

Wright made his first appearance for the Gills last Saturday as he came off the bench to play the final 30 minutes against Dover Athletic.

He sees Gillingham as a step in the right direction after spending the past four seasons at Dagenham & Redbridge.

“I have come from the depths of non-league, slowly worked my way up and for me it is about progressing,” said the 25-year-old.

“I was non-league with Hitchin Town and even spent a couple of loans away from there when I couldn’t get in the side, then I went into Colchester United under-23s when I was 19 and didn’t get a look-in at all to be honest. I found a loan at Dagenham in my second year and signed permanently there and now here I am.

“I want to play as high as I can, I want to reach levels that I set myself and hopefully I can continue that progression and hopefully it is here and we can continue up the ladder.”

Wright admits his style of play doesn’t suit everyone as he likes to get the ball down and play. Some prefer the more direct approach from their defenders.

“Some will take me or leave me,” he said. “I suppose I am the modern day centre-half where I like to get the ball down and play, some gaffers out there don’t want that from centre-halves, so that is fine, you just have to find the right one.

“Luckily so far, I have found some managers who believe in me and hopefully that continues and we see where it takes us.”

Wright can do a job in the centre of defence or as he showed on Saturday, as a right-back. Gills boss Neil Harris has also mooted a possibility that he could play midfield at times. That versatility will be much needed this season.

Wright played over 100 games for the Daggers with four seasons in the National League. Challenging for honours at Gills in a higher division appealed to him while he admitted Harris was also a big factor in his decision to head to Priestfield.

"The gaffer is a big pull and once I knew he was interested I was happy to get it done straight away," said the defender, who also spoke of the team's ambitions, adding: “We just want to finish as high as we can, a cliche I know, but I have come here to have a right go at getting promoted and hopefully the gaffer and the club can bring in the right personnel and together we can have a right go.

“I know a lot of our boys have spent time playing higher up than League 2 and so hopefully that will stand us in good stead and hopefully we can have a good campaign.”

Wright has avoided any serious injuries so far in his career and he was quick to shrug off a calf strain that kept him out of Gills’ first pre-season match at Folkestone. Now with minutes under his belt, he’ll be looking forward to stepping out at Priestfield this Saturday.

The Gills are at home to Portsmouth.

He said: “I am very much looking forward to it, I have never played there before so it will be a first and hopefully I can put on a good display and show the fans a bit more about me and what I am about.”