New transfer rules could be good news for Gillingham’s emerging youngsters.

The scrapping of emergency loans from this coming season means lower-league clubs are now restricted to doing their business inside the standard transfer windows.

It means the Gills can only do deals, permanent or on loan, between now and August 31 and then again in the January window.

Loan deals must either be half-season or full-season, following FIFA’s decision to finally scrap the English loophole that permitted short-term emergency loans outside of the transfer windows, and that means the Gills will be having to look from within should they encounter any major selection problems through the season.

Boss Justin Edinburgh is prepared for the changes and is likely to try and run with a bigger squad for the coming campaign, beefed up by talented youngsters.

He said: “It is why we have the likes of Greg Cundle, Mitchell Dickenson, Elliott List and Darren Oldaker. They are going to be needed.

“It makes you perhaps look a bit closer to home, looking at your own backyard, rather than knowing you can go and get another loanee.

“It is probably going to help the pathway through for some of these younger players, the first and second-year pros, to see if they are capable and good enough to step up.”

Last season the Gills used the emergency loan option to bring in the likes of Adam Chicksen, Andrew Crofts, Adam El-Abd, Harry Lennon, Deji Oshilaja, Dominic Samuel and George Williams.