Barnsley FC defender Sam Gale on why 'fire' to prove himself will never go out after rejection
SAM Gale can remember the feeling as if it was yesterday.
Just under a decade ago, the Barnsley centre-half, then approaching his teens and in Arsenal's academy - where he was regarded as one of the brightest young defenders in the country - had everything to look forward to, seemingly.
His dreams were then crushed. He was shown the door at the age of 12, while several of his age-group teammates made it, including current Middlesbrough goalscoring sensation Will Lankshear and talismanic Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck.
Gale told The Yorkshire Post: "There was a coach, I won't name him, but he basically told me and my dad in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't have a career in professional football.
"Which is always interesting to hear when you're a 12-year-old kid. How can you really judge that?
"That definitely lit a fire in me. I like to think I've carried that into my game the last few years.
"There've been a lot of people along the way; I've had managers who haven't always thought much of me. Not in terms of attitude, just in terms of footballing abilities.
"Things like that certainly light a fire in me and I still carry that with me now to prove people wrong."
Those tough blows - most notably at Arsenal, but also at former club Gillingham - have been the making of the 21-year-old, in many respects.
Gale's time with the Gills ended with his nomination for the EFL League Two Young Player of the Season award last season, ahead of his six-figure move to Oakwell in high summer.
But his journey at the Priestfield Stadium was certainly not a straightforward one after he made his first-team debut in November 2021.
He had character-forming loan spells in tough non-league environments at Sheppey, Hastings and Chelmsford City.
After being recalled from the latter in late 2024, the centre-back was finally afforded his big first-team break with the Gills.
On his circuitous route, he continued: "I think my way has been the best for me.
"Ultimately, I'll never know. I could have gone the other way and (you) never know where I'd be now.
"But, yes, having those experiences and battles against strikers who maybe aren't the best footballers in the league, but they're certainly physical and they're going to give you a fight, it's made me a much better player for it.
"I'm really comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone. During those loan moves, I was driving an hour to Sheppey, late nights to the other side of the county (Kent) and down to Chelmsford; late nights in another county.
"I was driving here, there and everywhere for my career. The same thing with Hastings, that wasn't nearby either.
"Obviously here, I've made a permanent move up to Yorkshire and I thrive off the challenge.
"I felt like it was the right time for me as well, not just on the pitch but off the pitch to sort of start building my life and really start to feel like I'm a footballer and this is fully what I'm committing to."
Gale's family will also definitely be clocking up the miles from the south this season, with his sister Jessie having joined Newcastle United Women on a season-long loan from Arsenal in August.
"It'll be a lot of miles for them," he continued.
"My sister's a footballer as well and she's up at Newcastle, so it's a lot of miles down from Kent!"
Gale's move north was not chiefly motivated by a desire to prove himself at the next level up in League One.
It was mainly a question of style in all honesty, with the Bromley-born player professing to being fascinated by the high-press and high-line ethos of Daniel Stendel.
Given that he considers acceleration, anticipation and reading the game to be among his best attributes, Gale, who turns 22 on Friday, believes that Stendel-Ball can play to his strengths.
With Barnsley's rearguard being a young and relatively inexperienced one at third-tier time, collective consistency will take time, that said.
Gale, who made 44 appearances for the Gills last term, added: "The only way I can describe the way the gaffer wants to operate in terms of the high press and the emphasis on playing out the back and operating in large spaces is that it's Premier League and Championship level in terms of the way teams play.
"You don't see much of that in League One and League Two, so that really intrigued me.
"I played for a team last season that was very direct. That way works as well. I'm not slating that at all.
"But I think for my game, the way the gaffer wants to play has really intrigued me.
"When I had my first calls with the club, I think that was the first thing that interested me and made me think: 'yes, I can really thrive here' and hopefully I can show that."