Midfielder Ethan Coleman doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.

Gillingham manager Neil Harris handed him his first start for the Gills on Tuesday as a replacement for the rested Shaun Williams.

The former Leyton Orient midfielder, 23, slotted in well to the defensive midfield role and made an instant impact with an assured display to help keep leading side Stockport County at bay in a 0-0 draw.

Harris said: “He has been excellent and he will continue to grow.

"Let’s be honest, at the moment he is working with, watching, learning from and played instead of Shaun Williams, who has done that position as good as anyone outside the Premier League, in the Championship for years under me and then in the lower leagues as well.”

Harris trusted the recommendation of his director of football Kenny Jackett to make the signing of Coleman, having seen little of him personally.

The Gills boss said: “Ethan is a player that Kenny knows well because he signed him at Orient.

"Kenny brought him up, showed me some clips and put it to me, and I liked what I saw. I took some references from people at Orient, Bromley and King’s Lynn and he has played in Kenny’s team, he doesn’t sign bad characters.

“I am delighted to have him. He is one for the future. He has done well and he won’t disappoint us, he will always be Steady Eddy from what I have seen in training and behind closed doors.

“Shaun Williams is pushing 40, Ethan came in and that’s the point of him being in the building so him and Shaun can share a workload and play a similar style and he showed maturity in his performance, his reading of the game was excellent, some little bits of composure, I was really pleased with him.”

Striker Tristan Abrahams, meanwhile, also had a first start although it was at times a lonely role for the front-man, as the rest of the team concentrated on keeping Stockport out.

Harris said: “Tristan is 24 but he has played nearly 200 games, across League 1 and 2 and the National League, he has a lot of experience but he is learning the game.

“I am asking of him a lot more than he has probably been coached over his years as a centre forward, sometimes you have to start with the fundamentals, without the ball, as well as learning what to do with it, talking to him about his movement.

“To be a centre-forward in my team there are a lot of demands in the way I want them to play, that is why I have signed different types of centre forwards.

“I was really pleased with his character (on Tuesday). He would have been disappointed he didn’t protect the ball a little better for us at times but that will come in time. He was exposed a lot upfront, so really delighted with his attitude.”