Gillingham’s new signing ended the last season in League Two with a promotion medal.
Midfielder James Brophy, 31, played 53 games for Cambridge United during the past season and helped them win promotion from League Two under former Gills boss Neil Harris.
He’ll add midfield options for the Gills and can also play on the wing or as a wing-back.
Brophy was released by Cambridge at the end of the season, having spent the past five years with the club, where he made 259 appearances.
Upon his exit, Cambridge said that: “Across five seasons, [he] became a fans’ favourite for his energy, consistency and ability to drive the team forward.
“He was named player-of-the-season in 2024/25 and leaves having made a significant mark during his time with the club.”
Brophy has signed a two-year contract with Gillingham.
He’s looking forward to working under Gareth Ainsworth at Gillingham and said: “I had a good conversation with [Gareth]. I found him really relatable, really genuine and after that chat, it was kind of set in my mind that Gillingham was high on my list of places I wanted to go to.
“For me as a player, it’s important to sign for a manager really and, having met a few over the course of the off-season, Gareth definitely stood out to me and impressed me with how he communicated, his values, his characteristics, and was someone that I saw who I could play for, and would want to play for.”
He added: “I am not getting any younger, and I have been fortunate enough to play a lot of games and feel like I still have a lot of years left in me.
“We had a good season just gone, with Cambridge, achieving promotion and being successful, and that was important for me to look for a club with that ambition as the next step, and I think that one is definitely here.”
Describing himself as a player, he said: “I am direct. I like to be positive on the pitch, I like to help create goals and I like to help the team be better and I think I contribute to that and I think you are going to get someone that you know gives everything they can while on the pitch.”
Brophy scored three goals last season for Cambridge and claimed eight assists in the 34 games he started in League Two.
His former clubs include Leyton Orient and Swindon Town.
