The right man for the job

But despite not really knowing Fuller, it's pretty clear to me that he is the sort of player that we are lacking in the modern game.

This week we've had Kris Boyd spitting his dummy out and walking out on Scotland because a free-scoring Wolves striker (Chris Iwelumo) was chosen ahead of him to come on from the bench against Norway (Boyd regularly warms the bench at Rangers, so surely he was the perfect choice to warm the bench for Scotland?) and Ashley Cole being booed by England fans for, well, being Ashley Cole (Rio Ferdinand wouldn't have been booed for that backpass, for example).

Both are examples of players who demonstrate what's gone wrong with the modern game. Arrogance, complacency and delusion reigns supreme in some of the top players today, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by the fans - hence the boos directed at Cole at Wembley on Saturday.

The boos weren't for Cole's ludicriously complacent backpass, but more a reaction to Ashley Cole the person. Had Rio Ferdinand, Matthew Upson or Wes Brown made that mistake, I'm convinced the fans wouldn't have booed.

The fact that it was Cole, who, according to his book, couldn't stomach the prospect of playing for Arsenal for a mere £55,000 per week, who valued his marriage to his pop star missus Cheryl so much that he cheated on her, whose attitude to referees last season did him (and referees) no favours at all, made him a target for the fans' boos.

The mistake was merely the chance for fans to let him know what they thought of him. After all, as a footballer, there's little to criticise. I don't agree with booing your own players - it's totally counter-productive.  But Cole's attitude and conduct in recent years has left him with an unenviable reputation, and the fans' boos were a reflection of how they felt about him, and also a reflection of how far the game has begun to drift from the normal fan.

That drift has affected Gillingham FC too, with the club's attitude to its fans in recent seasons helping drive fans away from Priestfield Stadium when the club really could have done with keeping them onside. Of those fans who do go, many now have a deep-rooted cynicism which on occasions leads to frustration. Sometimes that frustration is directed toward individual players, which brings me back to Fuller.

He's been a player who has attracted varying reviews from the club's fans over the past year. Some have suggested he is sub-standard - a non-league player who is out of his depth. Others, myself included, see a hard-working, committed player who is adapting quickly to his new surroundings and establishing himself as a solid player at this level.

He doesn't have the arrogance of an Ashley Cole, nor does he have the apparent delusion of a Kris Boyd. Instead we have a young player, playing for his local club, who has worked hard to earn his opportunity - and now he's been granted one, he's determined to take it. He's small in stature, but he has that 'refuse to lose' attitude that sets him apart from many pros, and that's why I have particular respect for him.

Both the player himself and manager Mark Stimson have said that Fuller isn't the best technical player at the club, but, along with the likes of Simon King and Simon Royce, he is without doubt among the most reliable and committed members of the Gillingham squad. For me, he's been in the top two or three performers so far this season.

Giving Fuller the armband seems to have brought the best out of him, too. While Andrew Crofts' game gradually deteriorated after he was made skipper, Fuller seems to have grown in stature after just one game.

His reaction to being made captain was clear to see on Saturday. He is clearly immensely proud to wear the armband, and his leadership qualities were in evidence throughout the match. To top it all off, he produced a superb performance and, given a little more luck, could easily have capped it all off with a goal in each half.

He was an unlikely choice as skipper - and some even ridiculed the decision - but Barry Fuller may be just the captain our club needs. After all, he's a model pro, and he has passion, commitment and determination. And contrary to some fans' opinions, he's not a bad player, too.

I don't know about you, but that's certainly good enough for me.