Zane Albarus Leaves Brighton for Gillingham

Gillingham midfielder Zane Albarus has revealed he knew he had to leave Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of last season. The 20-year-old made a positive impression on his Gills debut at the weekend, helping his new team earn a Carabao Cup defeat against Luton.

Why He Left

Albarus admitted he thought about leaving Brighton & Hove Albion for his own development, wanting to kickstart his career in senior men's football. He reflected on his time in the under-21s team, saying, 'You don't really want to be too old still playing in the 21s team. You want to really be kicking on with your career, playing professional football and senior men's football as well.'

New Chapter at Gillingham

Albarus started for the Gills against Luton in the Carabao Cup defeat, playing alongside Robbie McKenzie in the centre of midfield. He came off midway through the second half but still earned the sponsors' man-of-the-match award. The midfielder expressed his happiness to start and hopes to perform better in the future, saying, 'I was really happy to start because, hopefully, it's a reflection of my pre-season, that I was performing well.'

Manager's Influence

Albarus also opened up on the presentation made by Gills boss Gareth Ainsworth that convinced him to join the club. He described it as having a 'massive' influence on him, saying, 'That's probably one of the main factors to why I came here.' The midfielder praised Ainsworth's faith in him, saying, 'For me, I think that's the main thing for me this season, to be able to return his faith in me.'

Current Form

Brighton & Hove Albion currently sit 8th in the Premier League, with 53 points from 38 games, and a recent form of LLWLW. They have scored 52 goals and conceded 46, with a +6 goal difference. They are 32 points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race.

Gillingham's New Signing

Albarus is Gillingham's new signing, and he is adapting to the first-team environment. He praised the welcoming nature of his new teammates, saying, 'The ones that originally were here have been great welcoming me as well, so it's been a comfortable process transitioning from 21s football to first-team football.'