Andy Barcham is keen to see out the rest of the season with Gillingham.

The on-loan forward struck twice to help beat Stockport in Tuesday’s FA Cup second round replay but his loan expires after Boxing Day’s match at Dagenham – meaning he will miss the club’s big-money visit of Aston Villa.

Barcham, 21, is in the third month of a loan spell from Tottenham and any deal now will have to be until the end of the season – and he’s more than happy to stay.

He said: “It’s a good place to be, we’re doing well and it would be a shame to break that up.

“I’m enjoying my football and that’s the main thing. If I stay here longer then that’s fine by me but it depends whether the two clubs can agree."

The lure of a big cup match isn’t the only thing enticing Barcham but he knows it will be a great occasion.

“We know Aston Villa await us in the next round and that’s an exciting game. It would be a great game to play in,” he added.