Midfielder Josh Rees feels he's earned another shot at the Football League.

Rees is back in business at League 1 Gillingham after signing a two-year deal at Priestfield.

His only previous league appearance came at Nottingham Forest in a Championship game against Brighton in May 2014.

Loan spells at Nuneaton and Torquay followed before leaving the City Ground in the summer of 2016.

Rees has worked hard to return to the Football League, with spells at Braintree and Chelmsford before last season's 20-goal campaign at Bromley.

He said: "I needed to get games and thought non-league was a good opportunity.

"I've now worked my way to a level where I feel I've earned a move back to the Football League but the hard work's not over, I've got to keep going.

"I've had that taste when I was younger and it's the hunger to get back there.

"I'd like to get back to the level I was (Championship) and ideally I'd like to do it with this club."

Rees spent 11 years in the youth ranks at Arsenal, between the ages of eight and 19.

It became clear the first team was out of reach, so the move to Forest followed.

He said: “I had a great grounding at Arsenal, it’s a fantastic club.

“I developed as a player, met some great people, but it came to a time where I think most kids find themselves in that academy system and you need to find a way to get into a first team.

“I went to Forest, which was different. I learned a different side of the game, which has put me in good stead now, but didn’t really get the first-team opportunities.

“Where Arsenal was a stable club under one manager, Forest was the complete opposite, a bit of a circus at times but again a fantastic club and there’s a lot of people there I have a lot of respect for.”

Rees had no idea just how big Forest were when he walked through the doors of the City Ground.

He quickly became aware of their illustrious history under Brian Clough, who led them to the old Division 1 title and back-to-back European Cups between 1978 and 1980.

Rees, 24, said: “It’s a massive club. I didn’t realise how big until I went there.

“I wasn’t alive when they won the two European Cups and I’d never really appreciated that era because I grew up in a different time.

“But once you go there you can see it’s steeped in history.

“The club had a lot of different managers, so they’re in the same boat as you, trying to integrate into the club and the stature of it.

“But the fans are the ones that make you realise how big the club is.

“When you saw them at games, with the passion they had and the numbers they travelled in, they thought the club should be back at the top level.”