Gillingham sign Brentford defender Conor McManus
- Jeff Manning
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Versatile left back believes Priestfield is the perfect place to kick-start his senior career
David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.
Gillingham have completed a tenth signing of the summer, bringing in versatile left back Conor McManus from Brentford for an undisclosed fee. McManus can also operate across the back line, giving manager Gareth Ainsworth another flexible defensive option.
At 22, McManus is still short of senior league experience, but his credentials and international performances suggest a player with the potential to step up.
Following the release of Max Clark at the end of last season, McManus looks set for an early first team opportunity as the only natural left back in Ainsworth’s squad. His debut could come as soon as Saturday, when Luton Town visit Priestfield in the first round of the League Cup - a fixture he described as ‘a massive test’.
Speaking after completing the move, McManus said the chance to work under Ainsworth and compete for senior football made Gillingham feel like the right step. ‘The opportunity that they are willing to give me looked like the perfect place to go and prove myself,’ he said, adding, ‘You’d be silly to turn it down.’
McManus's journey began in Ireland with Cabinteely FC, where he first started playing at the age of four. He progressed through the League of Ireland's Under 15 and Under 17 ranks before breaking into the senior game with Bray Wanderers. At 17, he made his League of Ireland First Division debut for Bray, starting in central midfield in a 1-1 draw at Wexford FC in May 2022.
After making 16 appearances that season, he signed for Brentford on New Year’s Day 2023. That move continued a development path that has taken him from County Dublin youth football into a Premier League academy and now gives him his first opportunity to prove himself in the EFL. His desire for senior football is clear. ‘Men’s football is what you strive to play,’ he said.
Across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, he made 11 appearances at left-back for Brentford Under 21s in the Premier League Cup, with the side progressing beyond the group stages in both campaigns. He was an unused substitute in Brentford’s goalless draw at Leeds United in the Premier League in March last season.
One of McManus’s standout Brentford moments came in a pre-season fixture against Benfica in July 2024, when he made a substitute appearance at the Estádio da Luz in front of 40,000 supporters. By his own description, it was a surreal experience, but it is also a reminder of the environment he has been around during his time with Brentford. McManus has left Brentford with clear affection for the club, saying, ‘It’ll always have a special place in my heart.’
Called into the Republic of Ireland Under 21 squad in March 2025, McManus marked the occasion in emphatic fashion by scoring two second-half headers in a 3-1 win over Hungary Under 21s. Last season, he featured in three of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro Under 21 qualifiers, captaining the side in a 1-1 draw against Moldova and in a 1-0 win in Kazakhstan. But it does not stop there for McManus, who has further ambitions to ‘earn that first full cap’.
Asked what Gillingham supporters can expect, McManus described himself as ‘young and hungry’ and ‘willing to work hard for the fans’ - qualities that should quickly appeal at Priestfield.
McManus also feels he is entering the season in excellent condition, describing himself as ‘100% ready to go’ and ‘physically the best I’ve felt going into any season’. He said the group is ready for competitive action too. ‘It’s a really good group of lads. Really looking forward to getting going. We’re done with pre-season. Let’s get cracking with the actual stuff.’
McManus arrives as a young, energetic defender with senior football still to prove, but his pathway through Ireland’s youth ranks, Brentford’s B team and the Republic of Ireland Under 21 set-up suggests The Gills have added a player with ambition, versatility and room to grow.
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