Gillingham boss Steve Lovell has given returning midfielder Mark Byrne the green light to show more of his attacking side.

Last season’s player-of-the-year has put pen to paper on a two-year deal and was back at the club in time for the start of pre-season training, which got underway on Monday.

Byrne has regularly been used in a defensive role for the Gills in his first two seasons but he scored the goal of the 2017/18 campaign and Lovell wants him causing problems for opposition defenders more often.

Lovell said: “We all know he can play that defensive roll but he has got a little bit more to offer than that, as he showed with the goals he scored last year.

“You can tell with his energy that he likes to get forward and I think the difference this year is that we're not going to play with just a defensive midfield player, I think all of our midfielders, whoever plays, they know how to do both.

“I don't believe there is an attacking midfield player and a defensive midfield player. If you play midfield then the rotation should occur with the three players that you have and we have a lot of options this year in that position. In pre-season we will be able to see what the best formation and combination will be."

Byrne, 29, will be among several new challengers for a place in midfield, with Josh Rees, Regan Charles-Cook and Dean Parrett all joining this summer and Bury’s Callum Reilly also set to agree terms.

Billy Bingham is fit again after missing much of last season, while youngsters like Navid Nasseri and Darren Oldaker will be looking to make a claim for one of the midfield positions.

Lovell insists everyone has a chance.

He said: “Mark is going to be trying to get in the first team like everybody else. It is an open book.

“Mark had a good year but it doesn't mean to say that he is a first pick on the teamsheet. He has to work like everybody else in the next six weeks and show that he is the one for the job. I am pretty sure that if he does what he can do then he will be.

“There will be competition everywhere in the team, that is something I have been working with the chairman to try and get, and I am pleased we have done that.”