Playing his former side this weekend won’t make Gillingham midfielder Callum Reilly any more hungry to succeed.

A game against Coventry City might be one he's looking forward to more than most but his attitude won’t change.

He said: “I don't think you should need extra incentive as a player, I think it is more just a game I am looking out for.

“Every game you should be giving your maximum but it is definitely one that I was looking forward to when the fixtures come out, that and Burton Albion.

“I will be giving it everything in every game.”

Reilly, who was born and raised in the Midlands, played on loan at Coventry, joining them for the second half of the 2016/17 season.

He was entering a relegation battle, one that ended with the club finishing second bottom in the League 1 table.

“We all tried our hardest (to avoid the drop) but it just wasn’t to be in the end,” he said.

One of the four league wins he took part in was a 2-1 victory over the Gills at the Ricoh Arena, a first win in 16 for the Sky Blues at the time.

Coventry did win the Checkatrade Trophy that year, beating Oxford United 2-1. Unfortunately injury denied Reilly the chance to play a part.

He suffered a hamstring injury two days before the match.

“I had a little chance of playing maybe on the Sunday and my family still went but I just couldn't quite get it ready,” he recalled.

“I had never played at Wembley before and that was really disappointing. It will be something that I find hard until I ever get the chance to play their again and kind of exorcise a few demons by doing that.”

Coventry took over 40,000 fans to Wembley that day.

“It was a little bit of light on what was a dark season for Coventry that year,” said the midfielder.

“A lot of fans had a great day out.

“Knowing I could have played a part was disappointing but it does give you motivation because that's what you want to be a part of as a professional footballer, those big games where there is a bit of silverware on the line.”

Coventry stayed in the Football League’s basement division for just one season, winning promotion through the play-offs last season with another successful trip to Wembley, beating Exeter 3-1.

Reilly, who played 20 times for them during his loan stint, said: “It is a massive club and it was really good for them to get promoted straight back. I think they will go from strength to strength.”

Reilly should be fit to face the Sky Blues this Saturday after the first few weeks of the season were hampered with injury.

He missed the season opener against Accrington and the game against another of his former club’s Burton, making his first appearance at Millwall in the Carabao Cup.

He wore the captain’s armband that night, a special moment for the 24-year-old, stepping into the role after Gabriel Zakuani was rested.

“I was honoured to be asked to do it,” he said.

“It was good for me to have had the experience, it was brilliant, and that will hold me in good stead for the future.

“I have learned under some brilliant captains, like Lee Martin last year and Gabriel Zackuani this season. He is fantastic and he leads on the pitch with the way he plays. It is good to learn from people like that and get experience.”

He’s now hoping to see the back of the injury that held him back in the opening weeks.

“Things are going quite well and I am on a good path right now,” he said. “I want to be a part of every minute of every game.”

More on the Gills in this week's Medway Messenger newspaper