Gillingham defender Jack Tucker made his first league start on Saturday and it could be the first of many.

Manager Steve Evans has been a fan of the teenage centre-back since first arriving at Priestfield.

He had no qualms about putting him in from the off on Saturday against Ipswich.

“The boy can play,” said Evans. “He will play a lot of games for Gillingham Football Club, I am sure.

“I have said that since the first day I saw him, after just 10 minutes.”

The 19-year-old came off the bench against Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, as the Gills switched to a three-man defence.

It’s the way they started Saturday’s game too.

Evans swapped back to a flat back-four early in the second half and Tucker was the man replaced.

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The Gills boss said: “If we had stayed with a three (man defence) we would have kept Jack on. He settled into the game.

“His distribution was a bit sloppy first half but he is a kid, he would have been nervous, that is the politest way to say it.

“He would have been very nervous that first half playing in front of 7,500 fans, an atmosphere at all ends of the ground. It was a real feisty game.”

Gillingham were without ever-present midfielder Alfie Jones for Saturday’s match after he picked up a knock in training. Mark Marshall was absent as he was attending his father’s funeral in the Caribbean.

“We missed Alfie and Marshy,” said Evans.

“I think we could have caused them a different type of problem, but we have lost, not because Alfie didn’t play or Marshy didn’t play, the boys who came in did good jobs.”

Stuart O’Keefe replaced Jones in the side.

“He did really well,” said Evans. “We are just unfortunate that we missed our big chances and they took one.

“If we had gone in front I think we would have probably turned them over well. Second half proved that with the dominance we had.”

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