Gillingham defender Shadrach Ogie isn’t reading too much into the League 2 table this season just yet.

The Gills sit 10th, two points outside the play-off positions, and have a game in hand on seventh-placed Grimsby ahead of this Saturday’s home match against Harrogate.

“For me personally, I don’t really look at the table,” Ogie revealed.

“I just focus on training and being at my best. I would say after probably the next 10 games [that’s when he will look].

“That’s when you will know who is in and around it.”

Gillingham are now returning to action after an 11-day break, which included a fixture-free Saturday.

Ogie said: “A lot of us went back home and just chilled with family.

“We took our foot off the gas a bit because we knew, coming in on Monday, it was going to be full-steam at it, ahead of this Saturday.”

But he denied getting into full flow ahead of a match-day was harder after an extended break.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “I just feel for the week leading up, the Monday to Friday, you’re just more locked in. You train at a good intensity.

“There’s players coming back and competition everywhere on the pitch so, if you want the shirt, you have got to have the resilience and to train well.”

Asked if returning to action presented more of a physical or mental challenge, he replied: “You could say it is mental.

“You are not playing every Saturday, the games really are spread out. Of course, you do still need to be switched on for training, as well, so it’s a difficult one.

“But whatever challenge it is, we will just try to take it on.”

One-time Dover loanee Ogie, still only 23, was part of Gills’ squad which let a lead slip in their 5-1 loss against Harrogate in Yorkshire in early April, albeit as an unused substitute.

But he said: “It’s done and dusted.

“All you can really do is learn from it, see where the errors came through and I feel like we have done that.

“Something like that, I don’t feel will happen again!”

Nevertheless, though, none of Gills’ current crop who were involved in that defeat will need too much reminding of the threats Harrogate will pose, heading to ME7 on a run of just one defeat inside 90 minutes in their past four fixtures.

“Of course,” he admitted. “We know what type of team Harrogate are.

“We have done some tactical stuff on them so we’ll know what they will bring. But we’re not really focused on them because we know what we can bring.

“With the ability we have got in the squad, we can take on anyone.”

When all fully-fit, Ogie has struck up a partnership with captain Max Ehmer and Conor Masterson at the heart of the defence, with Ehmer helping Ogie and Masterson also be an attacking threat.

Ogie said: “I would say that is mine and Conor Masterson’s biggest strength, stepping out with the ball and breaking lines. I would say that’s a huge strength of ours.

“Then Max is the experienced guy, his no-nonsense defending just sorts us out!

“It’s good to be alongside them.”

But Ogie is happy to play in whatever system manager Mark Bonner decides.

“Back-five or back-three or whatever you want to call it - or a back-four - I don’t really mind,” he said.

“Whatever formation we play, I feel like Bons, the gaffer, trusts us as players and we just have to go with it.”

Ogie also reacted to this month’s exit of Kenny Jackett as director of football, due to medical reasons, the pair having worked together at both Gillingham and Leyton Orient.

He said: “I heard about the situation.

“Obviously, it’s very sad so I just wish him a speedy recovery. I have known him for quite a long time.

“He’s a great guy so I wish him the best.”

The Gills’ game against Harrogate is their third-last home one of the calendar year and Ogie is well-aware of the importance of making Priestfield a fortress.

“We want any teams that’s coming here to be fearful of us,” he said. “Priestfield is our fortress.

“We don’t want any team coming here, thinking that they are going to get an easy 90 minutes.”