New Gillingham keeper Steve Arnold is thrilled to be back working full-time.

The 27-year-old admitted he struggled to adapt to part-time football at Dover last season.

He said: “It was a bit of an eye-opener. Having been in full-time football all my career, since I left school, it was a bit strange to adapt to training in the evening and having the extra day or so off. I couldn’t get my head around it.

“I did have a good time there, the gaffer was good to me and I enjoyed it but it’s good to be back playing full-time, especially at a club like this.

“It is brilliant to be in and around the boys, around that first team environment, to be training every day and getting that specific goalkeeping training which you need, at most levels. I am thriving on that.”

Arnold has always been on the radar of head coach Ady Pennock, having worked with him previously at Forest Green.

Pennock had the keeper in for training early on in pre-season but it wasn’t until last week that the former Norwich player finally signed a one-year deal.

The Hertfordshire-based keeper didn’t mind the wait too much, learning the lessons from the summer before.

He said: “I rushed into that decision with Dover and in hindsight I could have given myself a bit longer to stay in (full-time football) but when you need to pay the mortgage you have to take these options when they come.

“I couldn’t get my head around waiting all day to then go and travel at three or four in the afternoon when your body clock is telling you that’s the time to rest. That was strange.

“I did still have a good time at Dover and we had a good dressing room.

“There were a couple of options (this summer), more local to me, which I had a look at.

“That was full-time and back in the league but I didn’t want to rush into making that decision.

“What happened last year put me in good stead for this year. I bided my time. Not getting paid for four months does take its toll but it has paid off for me.”

Read more from Gillingham's new goalkeeper in Thursday's Medway Messenger newspaper.