Oli Hawkins, the striker-turned-defender, has been made available for transfer by League Two side Gillingham, where Kenny Jackett, his former Portsmouth manager, now serves as director of football. Alongside Hawkins, George Lapslie, Ashley Nadesan, and Scott Malone are also up for sale, while eight other players have been released. This list includes former Pompey midfielder Shaun Williams, now 37, who made 64 appearances for Gillingham since joining in July 2022 and served as club captain. Williams, who previously played for Portsmouth during the 2021-22 season, had been recruited by Danny Cowley from Millwall but was not retained after the season ended.

Hawkins, who returned to action in December after a serious heel injury, scored four goals in 25 appearances for Gillingham, who finished 12th in League Two, resulting in the dismissal of Stephen Clemence. Mark Bonner, who took over as manager earlier this month, has decided that Hawkins does not fit into his plans, prompting the club to seek buyers for the towering striker.

Hawkins was originally brought to Portsmouth by Jackett from Dagenham & Redbridge in August 2017, during a busy transfer deadline day that also saw the arrivals of Damien McCrory, Matty Kennedy, and Stuart O’Keefe. Over three seasons with Pompey, Hawkins scored 18 goals in 96 appearances, occasionally playing in central defense. His most memorable moment came when he scored the decisive penalty in a 5-4 shootout victory against Sunderland at Wembley in the Checkatrade Trophy final.

Following his release by Jackett in the summer of 2020, Hawkins went on to play for Ipswich, Mansfield, and Gillingham.

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