Gillingham FC young guns sign first pro deals at Priestfield

Cruz Beszant, Louie Dayal and Michael Luxton all made appearances for the club's senior side last season, and their performances, along with their displays in training alongside the established first-team pros, have seen the trio earn their first professional contracts in the game.

A playmaking forward or attacking midfielder, Beszant came off the bench to make his Gills debut in League Two action last August in Gillingham's 1-0 away win at Oldham Athletic, then scored his first senior goal in the Gills' outstanding 4-1 home win over Fulham Under-21s in the EFL Trophy.

Tricky forward Dayal showed well when he came into the side, with his energy in wide areas a feature in Gillingham's aforementioned EFL Trophy win over Fulham. He had to wait until April for his first taste of League Two action, when he came off the bench in the side's 2-0 victory over Accrington Stanley at Priestfield.

Midfielder Luxton's first-team debut was a rare bright spot in Gillingham's 5-1 home defeat to MK Dons, but his performance was enough to show that the club had another talented midfielder on the way through.

All three players were offered pro contracts at the end of last season, and news of them putting pen to paper sees them join fellow youth team graduate Stan Sargent in the Gills squad for the coming season.