Gillingham FC struck gold with £150k transfer gamble - He was a play-off hero | OneFootball

Simeon Jackson was superb for Gillingham.

Heroes can be made in a moment and for Simeon Jackson he etched himself into Gillingham history with his goal in the dying seconds of their 2009 League Two play-off final against Shrewsbury Town.

A player who by the end of his career had made almost 50 appearances for Canada, played in the Premier League, the Bundesliga and also gone as far down as the National League South, that goal still serves as his greatest moment.

Yet, he was a player that in truth the Gills took a punt on. Non-league football wasn’t exactly renowned for producing players who could easily make the jump to a higher level. Jackson, though, had made a name for himself at Rushden & Diamonds, bagging 20 goals in the 2006-07 season and 18 the following year, but while his record in the Conference Premier was impressive, it was far from certain whether he'd be able to make the step-up to League football.

Signed for £150,000, the Gills needn't have worried. He was a superb player and while his spell at Priestfield lasted just two-and-a-half seasons it has to go down in Gillingham folklore.

Simeon Jackson stars for Gillingham

Moving to the club in January 2008, Jackson initially had to suffer the disappointment of relegation as the Gills finished four points shy of 20th-placed Crewe Alexandra.

Yet the striker showed plenty of promise during that initial six-month spell and was rightly rewarded with a regular starting berth the following season. On his first league start of the campaign, he found the net in a 3-0 win over Grimsby Town and while results were indifferent at the start of the campaign, Jackson remained a consistent threat, regularly popping up with goals.

In the second half of the season, Gillingham got their act together and a strong February and March alongside a good end to the season fired them into fifth place.

This was when Jackson truly took centre stage. Heading into the play-offs, he’d already made his mark with 17 goals during the regular season. After a goalless first-leg draw away at Rochdale, the sides reconvened at Priestfield - and what followed was a memorable night. Jackson struck twice, either side of a Chris Dagnall equaliser, to send the Gills to Wembley.

In the capital, they faced Shrewsbury in what always looked like a finely balanced contest. Gillingham were arguably the better side over the 90 minutes, but some inspired goalkeeping from Luke Daniels kept Salop in it. That was until stoppage time, when Jackson - unmarked in the box - rose highest to nod the ball into the bottom corner, sealing a dramatic win and securing an immediate return to League One.

Simeon Jackson continues to thrive at Gillingham

Despite Gillingham's return to the third tier, the 2009-10 turned out to be another damning campaign in which they experienced relegation.

That said, it doesn't take away from another stellar season for their frontman. By now, Jackson was a firmly established figure in the EFL, chalking up another 16 goals in all competitions, along with seven assists. His standout moment came on the opening day, as Gillingham dismantled Swindon Town 5-0, with the Canadian bagging a hat-trick. It was, however, something of a false dawn for the Gills.

Relegation that season left Jackson with a decision to make - and ultimately, Norwich City's £600,000 bid was enough to tempt him to Carrow Road.

From there, he went on to enjoy spells across the UK and Europe, though he never quite managed to recapture the prolific form he’d shown at Gillingham.

Gills shirt.