Thanks – Vadaine Oliver

Big Vadaine Oliver is a surprise to me; he never looked like a player capable of performing in League One, especially when he played for York in the National League the year we came up. However, he’s proven himself at Gillingham; he’s a big fan favourite and I’m told a proper nice guy too.

He started his career with Sheff Weds, signing a pro deal in 2010 and being released without kicking a ball in 2012. He signed for David Holdsworth and arrived with less fanfare than other signings and found early in his Imps career that Colin Larkin, Rob Duffy and even Luke Daley were keeping him out of the team. The youngster was always committed and often looked dangerous, but his outings were reserved to ten or fifteen minutes at the end of games.

On his first start he scored against Telford to earn us a 1-1 draw and a week later in his second start he scored an 88th-minute winner against Hyde at Sincil Bank. The powerful striker had finally broken through. Two late goals in the FA Cup win at Walsall ensured that people started taking note of his scoring prowess.

He scored 13 goals in all including a last day hat-trick away at hapless Hyde, and can be credited with helping keep us in the fifth tier. There was never any question of him staying in the summer, not once league clubs were alerted to him. He left for Crewe and latterly appeared at Mansfield, York and Morecambe before becoming the effective focal point of Gillingham’s direct football.