Sam Gale
English footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sam Rodin Gale (born 1 October 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for EFL League Two club Gillingham.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sam Rodin Gale | ||
| Date of birth | 1 October 2004[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Bromley, England[2] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barnsley | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Arsenal | |||
| Gillingham | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Gillingham | 64 | (1) |
| 2022 | → Sheppey United (loan) | 25 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Hastings United (loan) | 24 | (1) |
| 2024 | → Chelmsford City (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:28, 23 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Career
Gale started out at Arsenal as a junior, playing with the London side in their under-9s to under-12s, before being released and shortly afterwards joining Gillingham, where he progressed through the academy.[3]
Gale made his first-team league debut for Gillingham on 23 November 2021, coming on as an 86th-minute substitute for Daniel Phillips in a 2–0 defeat to Cheltenham Town at Priestfield Stadium.[4] On 16 September 2022, he joined Isthmian League South East Division club Sheppey United on loan; player-manager Jack Midson said that "he will come in and do a good job for us at holding midfielder and centre-back cover."[5][6]
Gale signed his first professional contract with Gillingham in June 2023.[7]
On 21 November 2023, Gale joined Hastings United on an initial one-month loan deal.[8]
On 16 August 2024, Gale was once again loaned out, this time to National League South side Chelmsford City on an initial one-month loan.[9] In December 2024, Gale was recalled from his loan at Chelmsford, going on to make his league debut for Gillingham, starting in a 1–0 loss away to AFC Wimbledon on 30 December 2024.[10]
On 4 February 2025, Gillingham confirmed that Gale had signed a new contract until the summer of 2027, with a club option of a further year.[11] Having established himself in the starting XI following his return from Chelmsford City, Gale was named as Gillingham's Young Player of the Year at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season.[12][13]
On 14 November 2025, Gillingham announced that Gale had signed a new contract until the summer of 2028, with a club option of an additional year.[14]
On 8 April 2026 it was announced that Gale had been nominated as EFL League Two Young Player of the Season for 2025–26, with the award ultimately going to Daniel Kanu of Walsall.[15][16] At the conclusion of the 2025–26 season Gale was again named as Gillingham's Young Player of the Year.[17]
Career statistics
- As of match played 30 June 2023
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gillingham | 2021–22[18] | EFL League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022–23[19] | EFL League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Sheppey United (loan) | 2022–23[20] | Isthmian League South East Division | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Career total | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
- One appearance in the FA Trophy; one appearance in the Alan Turvey Trophy
Honours
- Gillingham Young Player of the Year: 2024–25,[13] 2025–26[17]