Adam Miller has been playing through the pain barrier in recent matches and will need a double hernia operation in the summer.

Gillingham manager Mark Stimson praised the 26-year-old for playing through the injury and turning in some impressive performances.

“He’s in serious pain after every game,” said Stimson. “But you wouldn’t know that when you see him charge around that pitch because that’s the character he is.”

Miller had a similar injury last season and needed an operation in the summer to fix an abductor injury.

"He will play on and he will keep going. We just need to keep monitoring him and to see how he is,” said Stimson.

“He’s the biggest nightmare though because he doesn’t like not training. On Thursday the boys had a really relaxing day but he demanded to go onto the training ground with a couple of others to do a bit so we have to keep the reigns on him."

Miller has been taking pain killers to reduce the impact of the injury but Stimson knows it takes more than that.

“(He’s got) determination and desire and it’s something you can’t give people. He’s got an abundance of it. That’s why he’s leading us at the minute and he’s leading us by example.”