It's probably fair to say that Ben Pringle never really got going during his time at Preston North End.

Having joined the Lancashire club from Fulham in the summer of 2016, the midfielder would make just 14 appearances for North End in all competitions during his time with the club, while also completing loan spells at a lower level with Tranmere, Grimsby and Oldham while still a Preston player.

That association with North End would come to an end this summer however, when it was confirmed that Pringle was one of six players to have been released by the club following the expiry of their contracts at Deepdale.

Yet despite his departure from Preston, it hasn't taken Pringle long to get back into, after it was announced in early September that Gillingham had beaten two other League One clubs to the midfielder's signature.

It was also revealed that Pringle's contract with the Gills is set to run until the end of the season, with the club holding the option of extending that deal by a further 12 months.

That move to Gillingham has seen Pringle reunite with manager Steve Evans, under whom he previously played for several years during the pair's time at Rotherham United between 2012 and 2015.

But following his arrival at Priestfield, it has been something of a slow start to life at Gillingham for Pringle.

Despite being an almost ever-present feature in Evans' matchday squad in the league since linking up with the Gills, Pringle has so far started just two league games for the club, coming off the bench in just two more.

In those games, Pringle has tasted victory just once, when he came off the bench with less than 15 minutes remaining in a 2-0 win at home to early pacesetters Wycombe Wanderers.

The midfielder has also struggled for opportunities in the domestic cup competitions since his arrival at the club.

In fairness to the 30-year-old, Gillingham had already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup before his arrival. He did play the full 90 minutes of a 4-0 defeat to Ipswich in the EFL Trophy in early October, although he was an unused substitute in their 1-1 draw at Sunderland in the first round of the FA Cup last weekend.

It seems therefore, that Pringle hasn't really been given the sort of opportunities so far this season to impress to the extent that may secure him that extension to his deal with Gillingham.

There is however, still plenty of time in the season for that to change, and with the Gills currently 16th in League One, eight points off the play-offs, if Pringle can be the one to come in and propel them up the table, there is no reason he can't still make a success out of his time at the club.