Rohan Luthra - Gillingham’s new goalkeeper profiled

Gillingham added to their goalkeeping options ahead of last weekend’s trip to York City with the short-term signing of 24-year-old Rohan Luthra. The goalkeeper, who has taken the number 40 shirt, went straight into the matchday squad and was an unused substitute behind Ollie Wright in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat.

David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.

The former Crystal Palace, Cardiff City and Derby County goalkeeper provides further cover for Wright, but his career has already taken him from Premier League academies to the Championship and through a varied spell in non-league football.

Luthra entered Crystal Palace's academy at eight, played for their Under 18s at only 15 and represented England at Under 15 level. He received his first professional Palace contract in 2020 before moving to Cardiff City in 2021.

In March 2023, aged 20, he came on in stoppage time for Cardiff at Preston after Jak Alnwick was sent off. In doing so, Luthra became, according to Sky Sports, the first goalkeeper from Britain's South Asian community to play in the Championship. He is of Punjabi heritage.

Joining Slough Town in National League South in 2023/24, Luthra made 19 appearances and kept eight clean sheets in all competitions there. Derby County then signed him for the following season after he had trained with them and accompanied them on their pre-season trip. He did not make a competitive first-team appearance for Derby but featured on the bench on several occasions.

In April 2025, Derby sent him to Spennymoor Town on an emergency loan. Travelling by train on the day of the game, he only met with his new team mates less than an hour before kick-off and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 National League North win over Warrington. Four days later, Spennymoor drew 2-2 at Rochdale in the FA Trophy semi-final with Luthra saving Tarryn Allarakhia’s penalty in the shootout to send them to Wembley.

After Derby released him in summer 2025, he resurfaced with Bedford Town in January 2026 and then joined Eastbourne Borough the following month.

While much of his senior experience has been outside the EFL, he arrives with a varied background and more first-team football behind him than might initially be apparent.

For a closer look at what Luthra’s arrival might mean for Gillingham’s goalkeeping pecking order, read the latest Gills Journal.

David Tickner writes regularly about Gillingham Football Club on Substack. You can read, follow or subscribe for free at Gills Journal | David Tickner | Substack.