Full-back Lewis Page is among the players working had to fight their way into Neil Harris’ first team at Gillingham.

A handful of players are on the outside looking in but the manager has been pleased with the attitude of those not getting game-time at present.

Page has yet to make the 18-man matchday squad at the Gills since joining in early March on a deal until the end of the season. The former Former Coventry City, West Ham and Charlton left-back is one of those having to be patient.

Harris said: “Lewis Page has been really patient, he is here until the end of the season to try and earn himself a contract and impress and we have enjoyed working with him.

“He has been very close to the team, let alone the bench on more than one occasion. His drive and hunger is there.”

Lincoln loanee Hakeeb Adelakun and club captain Stuart O’Keefe has not featured recently while January signing Jayden Clarke is having to wait for his chance.

“It’s a really tough one for Hakeeb," admitted the boss. "He has come in on loan and almost been a main-stay for the first three or four months of the season and then finds himself out of the group.

“I can only be honest, man-manage and encourage and demand and lads have been great.

"There is a really good mindset within the group. We are challenging them to be competitive, that keeps the mindset of them at it.

“If they don’t travel to an away game, two or three stay behind and they get what they need top-up wise, either training or fitness to make sure they are ready if called upon.

“If players here don’t earn a contract then they want to be ready to go somewhere else and they want to be spoken well of by past and current managers, and the best way for me is to be the best player you can be all the time and we have had no issues with the lads whatsoever.”

O’Keefe has only played once in the last two months and had an opportunity to head out before the National League transfer window closed. He chose to stay and has kept working hard on the training field.

“He is my club captain and a brilliant lad,” Harris said. “He has been excellent, absolutely excellent, decided to stay a few weeks back where maybe he could have gone and stepped back a level to play National League but wants to be part of it.

“He is enjoying it here, enjoys the football club, he has been brilliant, drives training sessions with a real leading mentality.”

Keeping those fringe players happy is a challenge in itself.

“I just try and treat people with humility and honesty,” said the manager. “I don’t get it right all the time but I try to keep them engaged.

“They are employed by the football club and I just try and treat them with the utmost respect.

"As long as they want to work for me and graft, their attitude is right, then they are treated with utmost respect while they’re here.”