- Gillingham will need to sort out contract extensions for eight senior players, including George Lapslie and Conor Masterson, whose deals expire in June.
- Robbie McKenzie, who returned to Gillingham after his contract expired in 2022, is hoping for more playing time under the new manager.
- 37-year-old Shaun Williams still has a big role to play in Gillingham’s side and may earn another year’s deal if he can continue to perform well.
Given Neil Harris’ abrupt resignation as manager last week, a new era for Gillingham is about to begin.
Harris lost his job at the Priestfield Stadium after less than two years in command despite having the Gills in the top half of League Two and not too far off second place at the time of his dismissal.
As many contracts are set to expire at the conclusion of the season, his replacement will have a lot of work to do in January to determine the makeup of the Kent club’s team.
Consider the EIGHT senior Gillingham players whose contracts are slated to expire in June.
1George Lapslie
Lapslie of Mansfield was one of the first new Gillingham recruits under Brad Galinson’s leadership after his takeover in December of last year.
Lapslie joined the Gills the previous year and scored three goals for them, but during the first two months of the 2023–24 campaign, Harris didn’t usually start him.
Officially, Gillingham did not disclose the term of his contract, but given that Transfermarkt reports that it expires in June 2024, the club does not have much time to arrange an extension.
2Conor Masterson
Masterson joined the Gills on loan from QPR last season and signed a one-year contract this summer.
The Irish defender had reclaimed a spot in Harris’ starting lineup in the weeks before his departure, but it is unclear whether his replacement will favor him.
3Robbie McKenzie
McKenzie left the Priestfield in 2022 when his contract expired, but he later returned. Since then, he has been a crucial and useful member for the team, notably last season.
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McKenzie though hadn’t been featuring regularly at all from the start under Harris, so he will be hoping for more luck for the rest of the season.
4Timothee Dieng
Another early addition made by Galinson after taking over was Dieng, who transferred from Exeter to Kent after dropping out of League One.
However, the Frenchman just had an injury, and at the age of 31, he will need to demonstrate that he merits a new contract if he recovers fully.
5Cheye Alexander
Alexander was a Harris signing last summer, and for much of the season he was the first-choice right-back for Gillingham, playing 48 times in all competitions.
The 28-year-old has continued to feature regularly in 2023-24, so he must be one of the favourites right now of this crop to land a new deal.
6Max Ehmer
In his second stint at Gillingham since returning from Bristol Rovers in 2021, German centre-back Ehmer has been pretty much an ever-present in League Two in recent years.
Turning 32 before the season is over though, can he earn himself a new deal from the powers-that-be and whoever the new manager is going to be?
7Shaun Williams
Next week marks Williams’ 37th birthday, but he still has a significant part to play in Gillingham’s team.
The veteran midfielder, who played 47 times last season, can consistently finish entire matches despite his advanced age, and if he can do so by the end of the season, another year’s contract is not out of the question.
8Glenn Morris
Morris returned to Priestfield in 2022 on loan from Red Devils after departing Gillingham for Crawley Town in 2016, and despite his advancing years, he was quickly handed a permanent deal.
Despite being awarded Player of the Year last year, the younger and more nimble Jake Turner has replaced the 39-year-old in between the pipes.
Morris might remain for another season, though, if he is content with being a backup.
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