Gillingham midfielder Armani Little is getting up to speed after a frustrating summer.

Little took part in the early weeks of pre-season and played in the first match of the summer against Millwall before suffering a set-back. He returned to action for the opening game of the season, a 4-1 win over Carlisle.

It’s meant playing catch-up but things are progressing nicely.

He said: “It was frustrating because I was feeling fit in the first two or three weeks and played the first 45 minutes against Millwall.

“When you get an injury that puts you behind, you are playing a lot of catch-up, but I am someone who works hard and gets my head down.

“I needed to focus on getting back for the first game of the season and luckily I did that.

“The first two weeks of pre-season was mostly running, so I had that in the bank already. I didn’t miss too much of the running, it was just the games I missed.

“I am coming back into it now, starting to feel fitter and fitter every time.

“That first game I was a bit rusty but I am getting there.”

It’s likely he’ll feature heavily this season under manager Mark Bonner after being made vice captain.

The midfielder says making himself heard on the pitch is something he’s grown up to do.

He said: “I have added that to my game as I’ve got older.

“I have tried to work on it and improve all the time and be that focal point in the middle of the pitch.

“The gaffer wants everyone to be a captain in their own way, whether that’s talking or leading by example, and I think we should all be like that. I think this team needs to speak more, all of us.”

Little left Wimbledon in the summer to join a club that he feels he has a chance of challenging for success in the league.

With a promotion under his belt at Woking in the National South play-offs and narrowly missing out at non-league Torquay United, he’s keen to taste success in the Football League.

He said: “During the summer I was speaking with Gills and I knew the project that was going on and the ambition of the club and that really enticed me.

“At the start of the season everyone’s head is on going up, that’s the aim, but at the same time we don’t want to put pressure on it. We need to keep it within ourselves and not be shouting everywhere.

“As a group we know what we want to get done this season.

“I have had bits of experience and gained promotion with Woking but I would like to do it in the league.”

Last season was a good one for Little, finishing the campaign as one of the best players in the division for tackles and interceptions won.

He will certainly be crucial to making the Gills tick this season.

He said: “When I met with Bonz and the club in the summer they said what they wanted to see from me during games and that suited the role I wanted to play. That was a big part of [wanting to join].

“I am an all-energy player, I like to be box-to-box, I like to do a bit of both. I feel during the season I can chip in with a few goals as well, hopefully.

“We are only three games in and we are getting to know each other better on the pitch. I think that will continue to happen and get better and better.

“We know in the group what we want to achieve at the end of the season but that’s still a long way to go. We need to keep improving game by game and working hard in training, that’s the plan for us.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s visit of Chesterfield, the midfielder said: “Chesterfield were backed as favourites, or certainly up there to go up again, so they will come here and want to get a result, we have to match that.

“This is our place, our home turf, we have to go out with that intent to win and it should be a good game.

“We have been working all week on what we want to do in and out of possession, everyone is onboard with what we need to do to get the job done and get three points. We’re ready for it.”