5th August 2026
Deal Town will celebrate the career of Aaron Millbank when the Hoops welcome Sutton Athletic to the Charles Ground on Saturday 8th August.
Known throughout the club as “Azza”, Aaron has announced his retirement from football and Saturday will give teammates, staff and supporters the opportunity to recognise a striker whose career took him from Gillingham’s academy and the Football League to promotion-winning campaigns with Herne Bay and Deal Town.
Aaron’s football journey began at a very young age. After a spell with Charlton Athletic, he joined Gillingham’s youth system at under-nine level and progressed through the club’s academy.
Football was always the ambition.
“When I was at a young age, all I wanted to be was a footballer, you put everything into it and that’s all I was going to be.”
A powerful centre-forward with a natural hunger for goals, Aaron became a regular for Gillingham’s youth and development teams. His progress also included senior experience on loan with Herne Bay and Ramsgate, where he scored regularly during a productive spell with his hometown club.
His years of work within the Gillingham academy were rewarded on 3rd May 2014, when he made his Football League debut against Shrewsbury Town in League One.
Aaron came off the bench for the final half-hour of the 1–1 draw and came close to marking the occasion with a goal when he struck the crossbar.
“But you don’t get anything for hitting the bar.” He said.
That reaction summed up the mentality of a player who always measured himself through goals.
I’ve always just wanted to score goals. When I was younger, if I didn’t score, I didn’t think I’d had a very good game. I always judged myself on scoring.
Later in May 2014, he signed his first professional contract with Gillingham, completing a journey through the club’s academy and youth-team structure.
After leaving the Gills in 2016, Aaron returned to Ramsgate. He went on to establish himself as an effective striker in Kent non-league football, later representing Whitstable Town and serving as the club’s captain.
Aaron then made the difficult move from Whitstable to Herne Bay, but it proved to be another important step in his career.
During the 2021/22 season, Aaron helped Herne Bay reach the Isthmian South East Division play-off final against Ashford United. He scored from the penalty spot as Bay won 2–0 at Homelands and secured promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division.
Aaron joined Deal Town in August 2022. Although he had received interest from elsewhere, it was an honest conversation with manager Steve King that convinced him the Charles Ground was the right destination.
I had a phone call with Kingy and it was just a proper phone call. He was a down-to-earth person, genuine and someone who cared about playing football.
“He said, ‘I want to get you out on that pitch playing your best football.’ All I wanted was success, really.
Aaron already knew several members of the Deal squad and quickly settled into the group. He became an important part of the Hoops’ attack, bringing experience, physical presence, intelligent hold-up play and a consistent goal threat.
Deal manager, Kingy said:
I want to say a massive thank you to Azza for everything he has done for the club.
He is a totally infectious character and a brilliant old school centre forward. The goals he scored in our promotion season were one of the main reasons we made the step to the next level. He would always be in the middle seat at the back of the bus at away games and was respected by us all both on and off the pitch.
After the serious injuries Azza had in his younger days the career he had and promotions he earnt were a testament to his determination and resilience.
Azza was one of the best signings we have made as a club and we all owe him a massive debt of gratitude.
The desire to score, never faltered.
Azza set himself a target of at least 20 goals every season. “If I hit 20, I know I’ve had a good season. If I hit 30, then I’ve had a really good season.”
He reached that benchmark during his time at Deal and enjoyed his defining campaign in black and white during the 2023/24 season.
Aaron finished as Deal’s leading goalscorer as the Hoops won the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division championship and secured promotion to Step 4.
His goals helped Deal maintain their title challenge throughout the campaign. Among his notable contributions was a two-goal performance in a 4–2 victory away to Bearsted and he also scored twice in a hugely important 4–2 victory away to title rivals Faversham Town and followed that with both goals when the sides met again at the Charles Ground.
When asked to name his greatest football achievements, Aaron highlighted his Football League debut and Herne Bay’s play-off success but placed winning promotion with Deal at the very top.
Making my debut in the Football League was a good one. Then getting promoted with Herne Bay in the play-offs, when we beat Ashford and I scored a penalty.
But getting out of the SCEFL with the Deal boys has got to be my number one.
Among Aaron’s favourite Deal memories was the dramatic FA Vase quarter-final victory on penalties.
Deal played the final half-hour with ten men before the tie went to a shootout. Aaron missed his own penalty, but the Hoops still secured a memorable victory.
It had all the emotions. We were down to ten men, they equalised and then we went to penalties.
Because it was such a long journey, the coach trip back was unreal. It had everything.
Promotion took Deal into the Isthmian League South East Division for the 2024/25 season, where Aaron continued to make important contributions at the higher level.
Unfortunately, injuries increasingly restricted his involvement.
Aaron’s knee problems had begun during his time in Gillingham’s youth team, when he dislocated his knee. After suffering another dislocation two years later, he underwent surgery and later fractured his kneecap.
Although injury has brought his playing career to a close, Aaron retires with a list of achievements of which he can be enormously proud: playing in the Football League, a professional contract, two promotions and a league championship.
He will be remembered at Deal as a prolific striker, an important member of one of the club’s most successful squads and a popular figure among teammates and supporters.
From hitting the crossbar on his professional debut to scoring in a play-off final and helping Deal Town lift the league title, Aaron Millbank’s career has been defined by goals, resilience and memorable moments across Kent football.
The club will celebrate Aaron’s contribution ahead of the fixture against Sutton Athletic at the Charles Ground on Saturday 8th August.
We hope as many supporters as possible will join us to show their appreciation and say thank you to Azza for everything he has given to Deal Town Football Club.
