Gillingham have strengthened their squad ahead of the weekend with the arrival of loan signing Danny East.

Defender East joins from Championship side Hull City until the end of the season and goes straight into the squad to face Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.

The 21-year-old has been with Hull – his local team - since 2003, progressing through the youth ranks, but first team action has been hard to find.

Since making his Hull debut in the Carling Cup at the start of last season he has made just one other appearance for them, in the FA Cup during the same campaign.

This season he was loaned out to Northampton, where he went onto make 19 appearances. He was a second half substitute for the Cobblers when they met the Gills back in October in Northampton.

He arrives to primarily give cover to Matt Fish, whose recent injury highlighted the lack of cover in the right-back department. Chris Whelpdale filled in during Fish’s absence but is preferred in a more attack-minded position.

East’s last competitive appearances came on December 8 for Northampton in a 3-2 home defeat to Cheltenham.