Gillingham ended their season with victory over Salford and match-winner Cheye Alexander is already looking forward to getting started again.

The Gills players departed for their summer breaks straight after the 1-0 win at the Peninsula Stadium – courtesy of Alexander’s 84th minute penalty - and there are big hopes for the 2023/24 campaign.

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Alexander’s already signed up for another season after accumulating enough appearances over the past campaign to clinch a new deal.

“I am super excited for next year,” said the defender. “I can’t wait to get going. The break is needed but we would like to go into the season right now!

“I don’t think that (the Salford win) was an indication of how good we are, I think we have shown that since January, we have accumulated 41 points and it we do the same at the beginning of next year and the end of next year then that’s 82 points and I think we get promoted.

“We have to come in and have a strong pre-season and take it from there, everyone has high expectations but we have to come in and do our jobs.

“We don’t have much time off, five or six weeks, and within that we only really have a week and a half off, when we are actually doing nothing, so we are working throughout the summer and everyone is excited to get back in.

“We go into next year with a great squad. Everyone is happy to get a couple of weeks rest but raring to go for next year.”

The Gills went from being seven points adrift at the bottom of League 2 to finish just three points off mid-table. It’s been some turnaround.

Alexander has improved alongside the new January recruits and finishes the season with a trio of goals, two from the spot and the goal-of-the-season against Wimbledon - his old team.

He’s enjoyed the responsibility of taking penalties.

“I practice in training all the time,” he said. “It’s out of me and Tom Nichols but he took one last week (against Newport). I was my turn this week, I knew I was going to score.

“I just make sure I get a good contact and I know if I get a good contact the goalkeeper is not going to save it, too powerful and in the corner, that’s all I aim for.”

Alexander believes he’s got a good understanding with Nichols over penalty duty - although Alex MacDonald would probably want a say next season if he signs a new deal.

“Nico wasn’t on the pitch for my first one (against Leyton Orient),” said the right-back. “He was on the pitch the other week and I gave it to him and we were both on the pitch at Salford and he gave it to me, we do one each, we both score, everyone’s happy.

“I am definitely a penalty taker and in contention for next year.”

Watched on by a decent sized traveling support at Salford, Alexander was chuffed that his penalty got to send them home happy.

He said: “It was the last game, we didn’t have anything to play for and we have that many fans, it is amazing, credit to the fans and credit to the club.

“We went into the game hoping to do our job and finish the season well and give the fans something to go home happy with and we have done that thankfully, got the three points. It was a good game, good result.”