GILLINGHAM risk losing skipper and Player of the Year Paul Smith unless new contract negotiations are concluded by September 30.

It has emerged for the first time that the midfielder and his advisors had set the clock ticking by putting a time scale on talks with club chairman Paul Scally.

Smith, who will be 30 on September 18, wants to see out the remainder of his career with Gillingham and is ready to commit himself to a four-year contract - but only if the terms are right.

Since day one of negotiations during the close-season, he wanted talks to be completed before the start of the season.

In a recent radio interview he confessed disappointment at the slow progress of negotiations and stressed he would not be drawn into a marathon contract talks.

"What happened to Carl Asaba is not going to happen to me," he insisted.

A close friend of the Smith family said: "Paul has fixed the deadline because he wants to know sooner rather than later where he stands with the club. He is getting married next year and wants his future sorted out."

Gillingham supporters will be horrified at the prospect of losing Smith who has repeatedly set high standards of consistency since he moved from Brentford for a bargain £195,000 in June, 1997.

Last season's Player of the Year accolade was his second after first winning the award in 1998.