Gillingham land experienced centre‑back Liam Gordon on free transfer
- Paul Godden
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Gillingham have completed the signing of experienced centre back Liam Gordon with the 30-year-old describing the move as the ‘right moment’ to test himself in English football.
Gordon arrives after spending most of his career to date in the Scottish Premiership, where he has made more than 200 appearances. Valued at around £250,000, he joins The Gills on a free transfer from Motherwell after two seasons at Fir Park following a move from St Johnstone in June 2024.
He made 17 starts and 24 appearances last season as Motherwell finished fourth in a Premiership title race settled in dramatic fashion in favour of Celtic.
In the penultimate game of the campaign, Gordon scored a late equaliser against Celtic that briefly swung the title advantage towards Hearts - only for VAR to award Celtic a highly controversial stoppage‑time penalty for handball. Kelechi Iheanacho converted, setting up a final‑day decider between Celtic and Hearts, which Celtic went on to win 3-1 to secure the championship and deny Hearts - who had led the table for nearly eight months - their first top-flight league title since 1960.
Gordon said a detailed presentation from Gareth Ainsworth and his staff convinced him Priestfield was the place to take the next step in his career. ‘I came off it with a great feeling about the place. I felt like it was a place that I could genuinely go and make that next step in my football career, he said. ‘I was really taken back by the detail that they went into, the presentation that they put forward to me. The ambition is to get promoted.’
Conversations with players who know Gillingham also helped seal the move. At Motherwell, he has played alongside Regan Charles-Cook and Callum Slattery.
Lewisham-born midfielder Charles-Cook, signed by Steve Lovell, spent two seasons at Priestfield between 2018 and 2020 making 52 appearances and scoring six goals before he moved to Ross County and, after a stint in Belgium, returned to the Scottish Premiership with Motherwell.
Slattery, also a midfielder, made seven appearances for The Gills on loan from
Southampton at end of the 2020/21 season before signing for Motherwell.
Known for his commitment and leadership, Gordon, who is six feet, three inches tall, describes himself as a wholehearted, honest defender and promised supporters total effort. ‘You’re going to get 110%. I’m all in or nothing. I’m a defender first and foremost. I just want to be a player the fans will be proud to see wearing the colours.’
He was equally struck by the club’s unity and ambition after meeting staff on his first visit. ‘It just seems like such a well‑run club. Everyone seems aligned. Everyone’s together. I think we can achieve great things this season,’ he said.
Born in Perth, Gordon spent eight seasons at his boyhood club, St Johnstone between 2015 and 2024 including loan spells at Elgin City in 2015 and Peterhead in 2017. He made his Premiership debut in May 2016 in a 2-2 draw at Hearts and later featured in both finals - played behind closed doors during Covid - as St Johnstone won the Scottish Cup and League Cup double in 2021.
Prior to joining St Johnstone, he played youth football with Dundee and Raith Rovers before signing a three‑year deal with Hearts. During his time there he played in the Scottish Youth Cup final against Rangers and spent six months on loan at Arbroath in 2015.
Gordon will now return to Scotland briefly to organise his move before reporting for pre‑season in July.
David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.
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