A compact but tenacious midfielder, Gillett has both the engine and technique to be a force on the field. He may not be the tallest player on the park but makes up for it with his lower-body strength, work-rate and undoubted ability on the ball.
His ability to get forward and defend makes him well suited to a midfield berth – as well as his set-piece skills - but his versatility has also proven an asset for the second-string where he has turned in some excellent displays at full-back.
He skippered the club’s Under 19’s to the Play-Off title in 2004 but his progress was interrupted in January 2005 by a stress fracture to his left ankle. That restricted him to just a handful more appearances for the reserve and Under 18 sides before the summer as he did not step onto the field again until April.
He made his first-team debut as a substitute in the FA Cup tie at Leicester in January 2006 and signed a new two-year contract in May to keep him at the club until June 2008. He spent the first three months of the season on loan at Blackpool before joining Bournemouth on loan.