STROUD-born goalkeeper Stuart Nelson says his decision to join Gillingham has been vindicated after their League Two title-winning campaign.

The 31-year-old former Cirencester Academy and Archway student dropped down from the third tier last summer to join the Gills on a free transfer.

He enjoyed a spectacular season and was named supporters' player-of-the-year runner-up and took the award for sponsor's player-of-the-year and also the Chairman's Cup.

Nelson was also named in the League Two team of the year by the PFA and in The Sun and MOTD magazine. He also kept 18 clean sheets in League Two - a personal record.

He told BBC Radio Kent: "Some might have said it was a step back. It was in the position in the Football League but not as a club.

"This is a club going places and I saw that the first day I came here."

Nelson praised the set-up at Priestfield immediately after moving to Kent in June last year and he played a large part in them winning the championship.

The former Brentford and Notts County stopper only missed one league game this season, which was due to suspension, and was named in the League Two Team of the Year by the PFA.

"With the manager, the set-up and what the chairman has with his input, and the facilities the club has got it could only go from strength to strength," he added.

Nelson, who was coached by Forest Green boss David Hockaday at Cirencester Academy, praised boss Martin Allen, who was appointed Gillingham manager last summer and guided the Priestfield outfit to the League Two title.

It is Gillingham's first league silverware since 1963-64 and Allen's first promotion in his 18-year coaching career.

"Maybe people on the outside think he is mad but I have worked with him at a few clubs and you always see the reason for what he does, "He is a good man-manager who gets the best out of players.

"It is done in a different way but most of the UK are scared of change or someone doing things differently.

"How can you knock him and his methods when he has gone and got a league title?" "I saw that at the start and felt I wanted to be a part of that. Other players who have come in have seen the same.

"Together we have done it and stepped on. "Promotion was the ultimate goal and what we all spoke about at the start of the season.

"We've done it and being champions put the gloss on the top of it." Nelson says the focus will be on mounting another challenge for promotion when the Gills report back for pre-season training on June 26.

Allen has backed the majority of his squad to make the step up to League One. "I have played the majority of my career in League One and there's not a massive gap," Nelson said.

"Teams have stepped up from League Two and gone and done well. "Stevenage got in the play-offs last season after coming up and Swindon were up there this year. It is definitely something which can be done."

Allen championed his number one stopper. He said: " How we managed to get him on a free transfer I will never know. He is a fantastic goalkeeper.

"He has got years and years ahead of him, he is getting better and better with age and we have seen in the Premier League goalkeepers are playing at 38, 39 and 40 and without a shadow of a doubt Stuart Nelson can play higher, he will play higher, and we are very lucky to have him."