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Gills reward Rooney

Image: Stimson: Impressed

Gillingham have awarded a new two-year contract to promising midfielder Luke Rooney.

Teenage winger handed contract extension

Gillingham have awarded a new two-year contract to promising midfielder Luke Rooney. The deal will keep the 19-year-old at Priestfield until the end of the 2011/12 campaign. A graduate of the Gills' academy structure, Rooney top scored for the club's Under 18s in 2008/09 and was a regular source of goals for the reserves. Those performances earned him a first professional contract and he made his senior bow against Plymouth in this season's Carling Cup first round. He later scored on his League One debut against Exeter and fired home a 25-yard thunderbolt away at Southampton in October.

Security

Rooney has made 15 appearances in total this season and Gills boss Mark Stimson hopes there will be plenty more positive showings to come from the youngster. "Luke has potential," he told the club's official website. "He has played this season on the right wing, after playing most of his career in the middle of the park, either up front or centre midfield. We gave him an opportunity on the wing because he is very good in one-on-one situations. "If he can maintain what he has done so far then he will have a good chance to play at a decent level. "He's got a little bit of security now, he's happy with the deal and we're happy with it from the club's point of view, so now he's got to work hard and get into the 18-man squad."

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