Josh Chambers was back on the bench for Gillingham at the weekend and manager Neil Harris explained his reasons for recalling him from a loan.

Chambers has been a regular for Worthing this season after joining them in November, initially on a one-month loan. He’s been there ever since but Harris feels now is the time to get him back with the Gills.

Worthing have been chasing a play-off place in National League South this season. Chambers has made 29 league and cup appearances for the club, his last in a 1-0 win over Farnborough.

The West Sussex side look on course to make the play-offs - despite a defeat at the weekend - as Chambers, 19, rejoined the Gills as an unused substitute at Bradford.

His return came as Shaun Williams’ season was ended by injury.

“We are light in the midfield,” explained the Gills boss.

“The decision has been made a couple of times with Josh to leave him on loan because he has been excellent at Worthing and Worthing have been absolutely first class with Josh.

“The relationship has been brilliant, we cannot thank them enough for taking him, playing him and continuously playing him. He has done very well on the pitch to earn that right. He has done brilliant.”

While Williams is out injured, club captain Stuart O’Keefe hasn’t been involved and Harris admits he’s unlikely to do so for the final few games either.

He said: “We just felt it was right to bring Josh back into the group and let him feel part of it.

“Whether he gets on the pitch, to be part of the last home game where we will have a really big crowd, to enjoy that feeling and then go to Salford against a team that might be trying to get promoted, it’s a great experience for him on top of the games he has had this year.”

Prior to his loan at Worthing, Chambers played in the EFL Trophy for the Gills against Brighton’s under-21s and Colchester United.

Harris gave him his senior debut against Doncaster Rovers last season and first start, at Sunderland, while still in the youth team. The midfielder left in the summer to seek opportunities elsewhere but returned to sign a professional deal at the end of September.

Gillingham have had a spare place on the bench for a homegrown player for much of the season and Chambers can fill that void for the last two games.