Gills halt Rooney contract talks

Rooney scored on his League debut

Gillingham have put contract negotiations with promising youngster Luke Rooney on hold until the new year.

The 18-year-old winger has been offered a new deal that would keep him at Priestfield until 2013.

But Stimson has told BBC Radio Kent that the club and Rooney's agent have so far failed to come to an agreement.

"It's been put on hold. We had a chat with the boy and his advisors and at the moment it's on hold and we'll have a look in perhaps January time."

Stimson added: "They weren't dead keen on the contract and I thought it was affecting him a little bit.

"So we said let's take it out of the way. We told him to go and enjoy himself, play football and the rest will take care of itself."

Rooney was promoted from the youth team at the start of the season.

He scored on his first start for the club at Southampton in early October, having already netted at home to Exeter on his League debut after coming on as a substitute.