Former Swindon youth Harry Grant made his debut for the Gills at Burton

by Luke Cawdell

Harry Grant is a player Gills boss Martin Allen is looking forward to seeing develop over the next few years.

Grant joined Gillingham in March, on the day the loan transfer window closed, and the teenager made his debut on Saturday – along with five other youngsters.

"How good was he? Nobody would have known that was his debut, nobody even knows who he is," said the Gills boss.

"He’s left-footed, tenacious, with a good engine and he is still growing. He needs to get bigger and stronger and more powerful but I didn’t fill up until I was 20. He has great self-belief and there is something special in the blood. I am delighted with him."

Grant is the nephew of Allen but was told by Sheffield Wednesday that his services were no longer required. The Gills boss acted quickly to acquire his services at the back end of last month.

"I saw him play a lot for Swindon youth where he was captain," said Allen.

"Last summer I was going to bring him here to Gillingham and then Sheffield Wednesday came in for him.

"It is not always easy when it is your own family. I took my own son (Charlie Allen) last summer on a kind of trial basis, thinking maybe, maybe not, he will make it at Gillingham.

Cousins Charlie Allen (left) and Grant (right) appeared in Gills' midfield

"Then on deadline day I had Monty the dog with me at the vet in Gillingham, just around the corner from the ground, because he had a poorly tummy and at 4.30pm my sister rang me and said that Harry had just been given a free transfer from Sheffield Wednesday.

"So from that half-hour, Monty was given the all-clear, I rang Harry and he went back to the ground and Dave Jones (Wednesday manager) said he could have a free.

"I spoke to Mr Scally and he was a little bit sceptical, of course, because it is not easy bringing your own family in.

"He is quiet, not like me, and after he played at Brentford (for the reserves) the other day, where he was superb on the left of midfield, it was a no-brainer to play him."