Stevenage winger says past 12 months weren’t the best for him, and says 2014 offers up a ‘clean slate’ for the club

Luke Freeman says he would love to see Stevenage start 2014 on a high with a win at home to his former club Gillingham tomorrow (Wednesday, January 1).

The winger, whose long-term future may lie elsewhere following interest from Championship clubs, says this past 12 months has not been the best of years for him, adding that his team-mates see the start of a new year as the opportunity for them to begin with a ‘clean slate’.

Freeman, who started his career at Gillingham before signing for Arsenal in January 2008 and then moving to Boro four years later, told the Comet: “It’s a fresh start now. I think the lads are looking at 2014 as a clean slate and will start trying to get the points on the board.

“I think for me personally 2013 wasn’t the best year in and out of football, so I’m looking forward to the new year to start and a lot of the other lads are as well.

“It’d be lovely [to beat Gillingham]. We played against them last month and we lost [3-2, away from home] but I think we should have won.

“I’d love to nick a win at home on New Year’s Day.”

Stevenage go into the match on the back of a six-match winless run, culminating in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat on the road at Bristol City.

It has been a tough 12 months for the club and, according to www.sportingintelligence.co.uk Boro are the worst performing league club in England during 2013 picking up just 0.78 points per game through the year.

The next worst, with 0.84, were Premier League outfit Sunderland.

Stevenage could welcome back into the fold Peter Hartley and Filipe Morais after both players were left out of the squad on Sunday.

For Gillingham, who are managed by former Boro boss Peter Taylor, midfielders Amine Linganzi (hamstring) and Danny Hollands (knee) are both doubts.