Gillingham have announced the signing of experienced striker Sam Vokes on a one-year deal ahead of the 2025-26 League Two campaign.
The 35 year old joins the Kent side and reunites with his former manager Gareth Ainsworth. The striker worked with the Gillingham manager during his time at Wycombe Wanderers who released him at the end of the season.
Who is Sam Vokes?
Vokes started his career on the South Coast with AFC Bournemouth and made his debut for the first team in 2006. After a two year spell with the Cherries, the striker made the move to the Championship with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
During his time at Molineux, Vokes had a number of loan spells in the second and third tiers with Leeds United, Norwich City and Sheffield United amongst others. In 2012, the striker joined Burnley and went on to make over 250 appearances for the Lancashire side.
A two year spell with Stoke City was followed by a four year stint at Wycombe where he played under Ainsworth. After four years with the Chairboys, Vokes was released at the end of the season.
Through his grandfather, the 35 year old was eligible to represent Wales and made 63 appearances for The Dragons, including four appearances and a goal at UEFA EURO 2016. Now Vokes has dropped down to League Two for the first time in his career and joined Gareth Ainsworth’s Gillingham ahead of the 2025-26 season.
What could Sam Vokes bring to Gillingham?
The biggest attribute that Vokes will bring to Gillingham is his experience. The 35 year old has made over 600 club appearances with the majority of these in the Premier League and Championship.
During the 2023-24 season, Vokes made 40 appearances and his aerial threat for the Chairboys could be useful to Gillingham. The former Wales international won an average of 9.96 aerial duels per 90 minutes and had a 62.8% success rate.
Despite a reduction in his goals output over the past few seasons, the 35 year old has consistently been a threat to his opposition. Vokes has scored over 130 goals across his club career and during the 2023-24 season had an average of 3.32 and 1.09 shots and shots on target per 90 minutes respectively.
His ability to occupy defenders is something that Ainsworth’s Gillingham will be able to utilise. In addition to his aerial threat, the striker had an average of 5.14 touches in the opposition’s box which showcases his ability to occupy opposition defenders and create space for his teammates in attacking areas.
Is the signing of Sam Vokes a good one for Gillingham?
After a disappointing 17th place finish, Gillingham will be looking to improve next season and push for a promotion spot into League One. There is no doubt that Vokes’ experience will have a positive knock on effect for the younger players in the Gills squad such as Marcus Wyllie and Aaron Rowe.
Having worked with him at Wycombe, Ainsworth will most likely know exactly how to get the best out of Vokes. His aerial threat and ability to occupy defenders will suit Ainsworth’s direct style of play.
With this in mind, it is a smart addition from the Kent side. However, the issue will be how many games Vokes is able to play for Gillingham.
The 35 year old only made a total of nine appearances in all competitions for the Chairboys this season. The striker had a recurring knee injury throughout the season and once returning from this, suffered a broken arm.
Should Gillingham get a significant number of games out of Vokes, he will most likely score goals and provide a positive impact on the team overall. Considering this, Gillingham and Ainsworth will be confident that adding the former Wales international to their squad is a shrewd addition ahead of the 2025-26 League Two campaign.