Gillingham boss Steve Evans has tipped Jack Tucker for bigger and better things.

The young defender was back in the team on Saturday, playing in an unfamiliar right-back position, but he helped the Gills to claim a hard-earned point at Portsmouth.

Evans’ men played out a goalless draw in what he described as a “masterclass defensive performance”.

And Tucker, 19, played his part after stepping in for the injured Barry Fuller.

Evans said: “Jack will play a lot of games for Gillingham Football Club and he will play higher than League 1, for sure.

“He is a kid we think of highly. I have said it for a long time. Just remember his name, he is a top, top player.”

It was Tucker’s third league start for the Gills, all of them coming during Evans’ reign.

The manager admitted that he wasn’t so impressed on his last start, at Oxford, a game the Gills lost 3-0.

Evans said: “At Oxford he was poor, he learned a lesson. We had a chat with him about his focus again and he has grabbed it.

“Let’s hope that has focused him a bit more now.

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“He got carried away a little bit before, all of a sudden he has arrived, but he dropped back out.

“It is a learning curve but we wanted to play him and I thought he was outstanding. Many of them were.”

On the opposite flank Tom O’Connor had another good game at left-back, the Southampton loanee aged just 18.

It meant captain Max Ehmer and Connor Ogilvie, playing in the centre, had to keep a close eye on their young team-mates.

“Max led the troops well,” added Evans.

“Him and Connor were organised and all week I had been saying, keep talking to young Jack and Tom, these are babies, just kids.

“Whatever games Tom has played for Gills are the only ones he has played in the league and Jack has only had three starts.

“They were playing in front of a big crowd with that kind of atmosphere and that will only keep them in good stead.”

Fuller watched Saturday’s match among the away supporters after missing the game with a calf strain.

He is due a second scan to ascertain the seriousness of the injury, but could be back for next week’s match against Peterborough.

Evans said: “If it is grade one he will be fine to play on Saturday and if it is a two he will miss next week and be fit for the following week.”

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