Centre-back Max Ehmer won’t be giving up his starting place easily after battling to wrestle it back this season.

Loanees Deji Oshilaja and Harry Lennon have both kept the German defender sidelined this season.

“I am really enjoying playing again,” said the 23-year-old.

“It is frustrating when you’re not in the team but things change in football. I am back in now and I have to make sure I don’t let my performances drop and keep playing as well as I can.

“I spoke to the gaffer (earlier in the season) and we agreed that I wasn’t firing like I was at the end of last season.

“I played well in my first two league games, against Blackpool and Doncaster, but then I don’t know what was up with me, I wasn’t my usual self. I came out of the team but since going in I think I have done well and I am back at it. I might have needed that spell on the bench.”

Ehmer was out of the starting line-up at Crewe in the middle of October and went 12 league games without a kick. He finally won his place back after Christmas, helping the side to a 1-0 home win over Colchester and winning the man-of-the-match accolade.

He said: “The first two games back in went really well, with two clean sheets and two wins, but it was very frustrating to lose in the way we did at Wigan on Thursday.

“We should have had at least got the draw and most people would have been happy with that. To be 2-0 up and lose was very frustrating. They are the games we need to see out.”

The Gills lost after conceding in the final minute of added-on time.

“The timing of it didn’t matter,” Ehmer said. “It was just losing, that annoys us. We were 2-0 up and in control and they didn’t look like scoring. The goals came and at 2-2 we just had to hold out."

Full interview in Friday's Medway Messenger