Josh Loves Life As A Gills Star

Forward eager to forget his Serb hell

- Dan Barnes

“THIS little period since ‘Loves’ has taken over is the most I’ve enjoyed football in a very long time.”

Josh Parker has discovered a new zest for life under caretaker-boss Steve Lovell at Gillingham and few would argue he doesn’t deserve to revel in the current chapter of a turbulent career, which very nearly came to a premature end.

The 26-year-old forward has a contract that runs until 2019 at Priestfield but the journey of pen to paper was far from straightforward, with Parker still embroiled in a legal wrangle with former employers Red Star Belgrade, who withheld his international transfer certificate and caused him to consider walking away from the game.

Wrangle

After his spell with one of Serbia’s biggest clubs turned sour, the Slough-born Antigua and Barbuda international attempted to return to English football but found himself in limbo, unable to complete a transfer despite trials at Gillingham, Charlton and Swindon.