Gillingham manager Steve Lovell believes he can get the best out of young prospect Regan Charles-Cook.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder struggled to break into the Charlton team but the Gills boss believes the player has the potential to excite.

Lovell, who worked with Charles-Cook as a youth coach with the Addicks, said: “He got himself into the youth team there, pushed forward into the first team squad and played a few games, but was never really was given too many opportunities.

“But I see him as a very exciting and very dynamic player, very clever and people will be excited by him I think.”

Charles-Cook may not be proven at League 1 level but it’s not an issue for Lovell, who knows plenty of experienced players have come and gone from the club without making an impact.

He said: “It can work both ways. You can sign experienced players and they don’t perform for you, which we have had in the past.

"Other managers have signed them and they have had great experience but not done anything. This is different. This is a young lad who has the rest of his football career in front of him and this is a great opportunity for him to show what he can do and I believe that he will.”

Charles-Cook has gained experience in the National League over the last two seasons, with Solihull Moors and Woking.

It’s a level of football Lovell believes will have prepared the young midfield well, saying: “The National League now is very strong. You look at the amount of ex-League clubs in there now and he has performed very well in there, so the physical side of it I'm not bothered about.

“Technically he is very good and tactically he is very clever. I have worked with him and he knows the systems that we play because we did it while we were at Charlton. He has been brought up in a very good academy with good people and a very good knowledge of the game.”