Gillingham hand defender Harry Webster a professional contract and extend striker Joe Gbode’s current deal
Published: 17:00, 20 September 2024
Updated: 18:27, 20 September 2024
Gillingham have agreed new terms with two of their most promising young players.
Defender Harry Webster has put pen to paper on his first professional contract, which runs to the summer of 2027, while teenage forward Joe Gbode has extended his deal with the club.
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It’s a positive move for the Gills as they look to keep their best young players under contract and reward those who have excelled.
Ethan Coleman, 24, has also recently penned a new deal, extending his contract to 2027.
Webster, 18, impressed this summer when manager Mark Bonner handed him a role in the first-team during pre-season.
The right-back is a second-year scholar at the club and made his professional debut earlier this month against Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy.
Webster told the club: “I’m really pleased to have signed and thank all coaches for their hard work since I have been here.
“I need to wait for my chance, be patient and take it when it comes."
Gbode has been with the Gills since playing for the under-15s and has been on the fringes of the first team for some time, signing pro terms in March 2023.
Under current manager Bonner he appears to have taken his game to another level.
A striker by trade, Gbode played out wide in his younger years and it’s where he’s impressed for the Gills since getting plenty of opportunities from the start of pre-season.
He’s gone onto play eight times for the first team this season, including a start against Tranmere Rovers last weekend, leaving the field to a standing ovation after another positive display.
He’s signed a contract extension until 2027 with a club option of a further year.
Gbode said: “I am delighted, it's a big opportunity for me.
“I came here as an under-15 and breaking into the first-team with this club is something I wanted to do.
“There are a lot of coaches that have helped me along the way and now I want to give the fans something to cheer about.”
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Luke Cawdell