The Gillingham players are to be given the choice which way they want the coming season to progress.

Boss Martin Allen is keen to put the ball in their court ahead of a new season in League 1. Last year there was an overwhelming decision to go for the title, with an ambitious 90-point target on the table.

Allen said: “We will give them a team meeting and they will write out what they believe we need to do. What they want to do. I think the players will probably decide on what we all do.

“We did that last season. Our target was 90 points from day one. That’s what we set out. We kept it quiet and we kept it private, we never told anyone but we wanted 90 points.

“We ended up a little bit short of the target but our target was 90 and we wanted to be champions from day one."

Allen is keen to continue letting the players govern themselves. He said: “A few of the younger players got red cards for rash challenges but the dissent was virtually zero, if they got yellow carded, I substituted them.

“They all knew from day one we needed discipline on and off the field and the senior players virtually managed it all for me, I didn’t do a lot.

“If the players were late, the players dealt with it and if the players kept being late, they didn’t play and we left them out. We kept that private, of course. If they didn’t fit into the way of thinking, then they just weren’t involved.

“They decided on things and it was my job to manage it. If they didn’t put it into place I know I would have done anyway but the answers are pretty obvious."