Shaun Williams’ season with Gillingham has been ended by injury but his replacement impressed the manager on Saturday.

Williams, who has been captaining the new-look Gillingham side this calendar year, isn’t expected to feature again after missing out at Bradford because of a knee injury.

Replacing Williams at Valley Parade on Saturday – as the Gills rescued a point late on – was 23-year-old Ethan Coleman, making only his second start for the club following his January move from Leyton Orient. He filled in as the defensive midfielder and did a great job.

Commenting on the midfield switch, Harris said: “Shaun is out for the season. He came off injured the other day with a problem with his knee, nothing long-term, nothing serious, but it has ruled him out the next two games.

“Ethan has been champing at the bit to get in, he has been ready for his chance, he was excellent.”

Coleman’s only other start was at Stockport, another decent showing from the Gills as they held the home side to take a point back to Kent following a 0-0 draw. Seven other appearances have been off the bench.

Harris added: “We know he is young, he has played league football, National League football, quite a lot of games in the National League (with loans at King’s Lynn and Bromley).

“He needs to build into league football but working with Shaun Williams every day, watching him on the pitch and the training ground, has set him in good stead.

“I could have gone a different route but I trusted him to start.”

Williams’ premature end to the season comes after Aiden O’Brien’s season was also finished a few weeks earlier than hoped, after he suffered a hamstring injury.

O’Brien is on loan from Shrewsbury while Williams is on a deal at Gills which runs out this summer.

The Gills recalled Josh Chambers from Worthing to help fill the void and he was an unused substitute at Bradford on Saturday.