[themaclad]

Gillingham signed striker Marcus Wyllie from non-league Enfield Town for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old scored 34 goals in 49 appearances to help Enfield come third in the Isthmian League Premier Division last season before going on to win promotion to National League South via the play-offs.

It is the first time Wyllie will have played as a full-time professional and he could make his first appearance in a pre-season game against Dartford on Tuesday.

"This is a really significant signing for us," Gillingham director of football Kenny Jackett told the club website.

"As a community club we have a responsibility to scour the various leagues and recruit players who we believe have a bright future and can add depth to our squad.

"We have done our due diligence on Marcus, he is a strong hardworking lad who had a prolific season with Enfield Town and I have no doubt he is the type of player that Gillingham fans will enjoy watching.

"Our recruitment team are working very hard when it comes to spotting talent in our region who have the capabilities to play at our level, and possibly even higher.

"We are giving players the opportunity to show what they can do and we will continue to work hard to add quality to our existing setup.”

[themaclad]

Peterborough United striker Jacob Wakeling has joined League Two side Gillingham on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old, who becomes Gillingham's sixth summer signing, signed for Posh last year and has made eight appearances for the League One club.

Wakeling spent the previous season at Swindon Town, where he scored eight goals in 50 appearances overall.

He began his career playing in West Bromwich Albion's youth teams before joining non-league Alvechurch and then Leicester City, who loaned him out to Barrow.

Gillingham host Carlisle United on the opening weekend of the new League Two season on Saturday, 10 August.

[themaclad]

Gillingham have signed former Charlton Athletic midfielder Euan Williams on a permanent contract.

The 21-year-old had been training with the Gills and is available for their League Two opener at home to Carlisle United.

He becomes the club's seventh summer signing.

Williams came through academy at the Valley and made his debut for the club against MK Dons in the EFL Trophy in 2022.

He has represented Northern Ireland at under-19 and under-21 level.

"I have enjoyed settling in with the lads, we have had quite a few games over the past few weeks which has been really good," Williams told Gillingham's website., external

"I am very high energy, I like to play forward and run forward, I make runs in behind. I am nice, neat and tidy on the ball and I create chances. Hopefully I can pop up with a few goals as well."

[themaclad]

Bradley Dack has returned to Gillingham on a free transfer seven years after he left the club.

The 30-year-old spent last season at Sunderland but was released by the club after scoring just one goal in 17 appearances.

Dack spent five years at Gillingham from 2012 to 2017, making 185 appearances and scoring 38 goals for the Kent club.

He then spent a successful six years at Blackburn Rovers, finishing as the club's top scorer as his 18 goals helped propel the Lancashire club to promotion to the Championship in his first season.

"I can't wait to get going to be honest. It's nice to be back, I feel like my body is in the right place," he told the club's website., external

"I just need to get match fit, I want to score goals and affect football matches."

The attacking midfielder scored a total of 57 goals in 173 games during his six seasons at Ewood Park, before moving to Sunderland last summer.

The club did not specify the length of the contract.

"There's a romance about the signing, because he's coming home if you like," Gills boss Mark Bonner told BBC Radio Kent.

"We know that he's had injury problems in the past, but when he is fit and available he gives us one hell of an option to help us win games at this level.

"I'm not sure there's many other clubs at this level that would’ve got him to play for them. When I look in his eyes I see someone desperate to be here and to win."

Gillingham began the League Two season with a 4-1 home win against Carlisle United.

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Gillingham have signed Chelsea's England youth international striker Jimmy-Jay Morgan on loan until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old, who moved to Chelsea's academy from Southampton in February 2023 for an undisclosed fee, has yet to feature for the Premier League side's first team.

Morgan has played six times for Chelsea's Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy, having also played three times in the competition for Southampton.

He has also been capped at Under-16, 17 and 18 level by England and has scored six times in 10 Premier League Two matches this season.

[themaclad]

Gillingham have brought in two new loan men on deadline day, Andy Smith from Hull City and Dominic Corness from Premier League leaders Liverpool - both on deals until the end of the season.

Liverpudlian midfielder Corness, 21, who can also play at left-back, is yet to make a first-team appearance, but has played regularly for the Reds' Under-21s.

Defender Smith, 23, has made one appearance for the Tigers this season, against Sheffield Wednesday in the Carabao Cup in August.

Smith came through the youth set-up at Hull and has made a total of seven appearances for the club, as well as spending time on loan at Salford City, Grimsby Town and Cheltenham Town.

That takes the Gills' total of signings in the winter transfer window to five.

Gillingham, now managed by another Liverpudlian John Coleman, have tumbled to 17th in League Two, nine points clear of trouble, having not won in eight games since 14 December - a run of only three points out of a possible 24.

[themaclad]

Veteran goalkeeper Glenn Morris has signed a new one-year contract to stay at Gillingham for next season, while Robbie McKenzie has signed a new two-year deal.

Morris, 41, was voted the Gills' player of the season by fans, having kept 13 clean sheets.

In October, he became the oldest man to play for the Kent club, surpassing the record previously held by Andy Hessenthaler.

Morris, whose contract was due to expire this summer, said: "I am really pleased. It is nice to get it done early so you can sort of relax over the summer and enjoy the time away."

Morris is in his second spell at Gillingham, having had a two-year stint there between 2014 and 2016.

He returned on loan from Crawley during the summer of 2022 and was signed on a permanent deal the following January.

His career has also involved spells at Southend, Leyton Orient and Aldershot.

Manager Gareth Ainsworth said: "He is the model professional who gives everything on a day-to-day basis.

"His experience is invaluable, and we are very lucky to have him."

McKenzie, who can play in defence or midfield, has made 193 appearances since joining Gillingham in 2020 after being released by Hull City.

"I am really happy here. I am settled, and I feel like the future is going to be bright, so I wanted to be a part of that," said the 26-year-old.

[themaclad]

Long-serving Gillingham defender Max Ehmer is to leave the League Two club.

The 33-year-old German has made 439 appearances for the Kent side since first joining on loan from QPR in November 2014.

He moved permanently the following summer and spent five years at the Priestfield Stadium before a season at Bristol Rovers.

He returned in July 2021 and has scored 17 goals in all competitions in his time at the club.

Also being released are Joshua Bayliss, Jayden Clarke, Tim Dieng, Alex Giles, Oli Hawkins and Ashley Nadesan.

Bradley Dack is one of four players in contract negotiations following Gillingham's 17th-place finish.

The 31-year-old former Sunderland and Blackburn player returned to the club last summer, 12 years after making his debut for as a teenager.

Also offered new terms are Max Clark, Conor Masterson and Euan Williams while options to extend the deals of youngsters Stanley Skipper and Taite Holtam have been taken up.

[themaclad]

Gillingham have signed Bristol City forward Seb Palmer-Houlden for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old, who spent this season on loan at Scottish top-flight club Dundee, has signed a three-year contract.

Palmer-Houlden scored nine goals in 39 appearances for Dundee this season and has also had loan spells at Chippenham Town, Yeovil Town and Newport County.

"Seb is a player we have been looking at for a while now and there was a lot of competition for his signature," Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth told the club website.

"We managed to sort everything quickly and I am delighted to have him with us.

"He has a bright future in the game - he's quick, hardworking, and knows where the goal is. I think all Gills fans will enjoy watching him."

[themaclad]

Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Bradley Dack has signed a one-year contract extension with Gillingham.

The 31-year-old returned to Gills for his second spell last summer and has scored one goal in 20 appearances, after missing October and November with injury.

Gillingham finished a season heavily affected by managerial changes 17th in League Two.

Mark Bonner began the 2024-25 season in charge but was sacked in January on the back of three straight defeats.

Long-time Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman came in as Bonner's replacement on a deal until the end of the season but he was dismissed less than three months later after just two wins in 14 matches, with Gareth Ainsworth taking over.

Dack began his career with the Kent-based club, where he established himself as an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal as he scored 38 goals in 185 games, before moving to Blackburn in 2017.

He spent six years at Ewood Park, scoring 18 goals in his first season as Rovers secured promotion to the Championship.

Dack would go on to play 173 times for the club, scoring 57 times.

A move to Sunderland followed in 2023 but he managed only one goal in 17 appearances for the Black Cats, before returning to Priestfield Stadium last summer.