Teenage right-back Ike Orji must first come to terms with full-time professional training after joining Gillingham from non-league Chatham.

The 19-year-old has been eyed by the Gills for some time and has now clinched a move to the Football League. He will stay at Chats on loan for the remainder of this season while training full-time with Gillingham.

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Orji, 19, had a trial with the Gills in March 2021 but needed to do more to earn a deal. Almost two years later he’s made the move across town to Priestfield.

Manager Neil Harris was glad to get a deal done for the exciting young player.

He said: "Ike went to school around the corner with Bailey Akehurst, he is a player that we feel maybe should have been here before, he has been at Chatham and had a great upbringing in men’s football for the last 18 months.

"He is an attack-minded wing-back/full-back that has a great end product, huge pace and energy and he is a bright lad as well, schooled well. He is the sort of character we are looking to bring in and a great age.

"He is not going to affect my team at the moment, this year, but he falls into the category of us trying to develop players whether that is coming through our youth system, but then giving them a pathway to the first team. Ike’s pathway at the moment is to stay on loan at Chatham, in the short term, to train with us on a daily basis and for us to integrate him into full-time football.

"There is a massive difference to one or two nights a week and a Saturday afternoon to the rigours of five or six days a week, and what comes with it. It has been an interesting first week for him, but he is a smashing young man and we really look forward to working with him."

Crawley Town - managed by former Chatham boss Scott Lindsey - were also understood to have been interested in the defender but Gillingham won the race for his signature.

He is described by Isthmian League side Chats as a “cultured right-back who dominates one versus one situations in the attacking and defensive phase.”

Orji’s been described as ‘the next Wan-Bissaka’ by some who see similarities in him and the Manchester United full-back.

He made his Chatham debut as a 16-year-old and has come on strong. He recently scored his first goal of the season for the club in their 4-1 win at Ashford - a result which sent them top of Isthmian League South East.