Gillingham striker Elliott Nevitt is a former Liverpool Sunday League star now hoping for success on his first move south

Newly signed striker Elliott Nevitt’s route to the pro game is out of the ordinary - something the Gillingham boss believes gives him an added edge.

Nevitt’s aged 27 and joined the Gills from Crewe Alexandra. He only turned professional three years ago after playing non-league football for various teams in Liverpool.

It was Tranmere Rovers who first took a punt on Nevitt, in June 2021, shortly after the striker’s Wembley hat-trick as Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase - a victory that came just six days after he scored an extra-time winner for Liverpool Business Houses Football League Premier Division side Campfield in the FA Sunday League Cup final at St George’s Park.

It was the second time he’d won an FA Sunday Cup winner’s medal with Campfield. He’d also played for non-league sides such as Everton Xavernians, Burscough, City of Liverpool (twice) and Bootle.

Nevitt spent 18 months at Tranmere before a switch to Crewe, where last season he scored 18 goals. For Gills manager Mark Bonner, it’s a backstory that he believes will help spur the striker on to want league success. His last game of the season was a League 2 play-off final defeat for Crewe at Wembley.

“I really like his backstory,” said the Gills boss, who has had to work his own way up through the ranks to become a Football League manager.

“He has come into professional football late and that gives him a real hunger. He has lived a normal life, had normal jobs, and that gives him a real understanding of what this is. It gives him a real desire to be successful and I have seen that in his game.

“I like his character. He has got a real drive about him, he wants to win and he had a good season with Crewe and got to the play-off final.”

The Gills were quick to get