Maghoma returns to Spitfires after Gills exit

Eastleigh Football Club has confirmed the arrival of the 24-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur academy player Christian Maghoma, who spent the first half of last season on loan at the Silverlake from the Gills.

Maghoma played 20 games in Spitfire colours after his loan move was approved by Gillingham. During this spell, the Democratic Republic of Congo born centre half scored two goals. Incidentally, both were late winners, with the first coming as a 95th-minute equaliser against Folkestone Invicta to keep Eastleigh in the FA Cup and take the tie to a replay, whilst the other came towards the end of his spell, with a long run topped off with a cool finish to beat Weymouth in the National League. 

After a shaky start to his spell on the south coast, Maghoma grew into his role and was, at times, majestic at the back. As a result, it was perhaps unsurprising that he was recalled to a Gillingham side that were leaking goals in League One. 

Whilst Maghoma would be a regular feature in the Gillingham squad for the rest of the season, he would fail to make a single appearance upon his return. 

This added to what had been a disappointing spell in Kent for the centre half, whose sole 2021/2022 outing for the Gills came in the Carabao Cup 1st round tie with Crawley Town. After making ten appearances the previous season, with only four in the league, it was clear that the move to the Priestfield Stadium was not working out for the young defender. 

After being released at the end of the season, Eastleigh made the call to bring Maghoma back to the club, providing an opportunity to get his career back on the right track whilst also pushing the fortunes of the Spitfires forward. 

Maghoma is described as a defender that is comfortable on the ball, whilst having the physical attributes that will serve him well in the National League. Furthermore, despite his bit-part inclusion at Gillingham, he also holds 38 appearances for Arka Gdynia at the top level of Polish football, which included a contribution on his debut in the 2018 Polish Super Cup win over European giants Legia Warsaw. 

The arrival of the 24-year-old is a welcome one, as he joins the likes of Brennan Camp and George Langston in an exciting young defensive setup under manager Lee Bradbury.

Maghoma will be seen as a key signing for the club, and one that can help change the fortunes of a side that were once challengers for the play-offs. 

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