EASTLEIGH have captured the loan-signing of Gillingham’s 23-year-old centre-back Christian Maghoma until January.

The 6foot 1inch-tall defender is a former Tottenham Hotspur academy man and featured four times in League One for Gills during the 2020-21 campaign.

Maghoma was born in Lubumbashi, DR Congo and brought up in London, but represented his country of birth on the international stage back in 2017 after briefly featuring in an England youth setup.

Following being released from Spurs in 2018, Maghoma joined Polish first division outfit Arka Gdynia and won the Polish Super Cup with the side during his debut – his only major honour.

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After a featuring in over half-a-dozen competitive games for Gillingham last season, Maghoma then trained with the under-23s and didn’t feature for the remainder of the campaign.

He bolsters Ben Strevens’ options in central defence, alongside permanent summer transfer Tom Broadbent, who has missed some of the Spitfires pre-season outings through injury.

With the addition of Maghoma, Strevens can now confidently play a trio of senior centre-backs in a five/three-at-the-back formation, as he has often deployed since becoming manager during the 2018-19 season.

Player's player of the 20-21 season Andrew Boyce is still thought of as the premium centre-back within the club but is now alongside recently renewed - but currently injured - Alex Wynter, loanees Joe Low and Maghoma, the aforementioned Broadbent and young academy graduate Tom Bragg.

Daily Echo: Maghoma will remain with the Spitfires until January (Pic: Gillingham FC)Maghoma will remain with the Spitfires until January (Pic: Gillingham FC)