samuel was loaned to first division club gillingham, where he made seven full appearances and one substitute appearance between 25 october and 3 december 2001. after he returned to villa, the team's starting right-back, mark delaney, suffered an injury and samuel filled his position; after the welshman returned, samuel was given a favoured left-back position. he reflected in a 2013 interview that his versatility helped him become a regular starter: "if you're just in one position and you're out of favour, you won't play. but if you can play in a variety of roles, it widens your options".