Steve Evans believes he’s seeing the best from Gillingham captain Max Ehmer this season.

He knew the German defender before arriving at Priestfield as manager and handed him the captain’s armband in the summer.

Ehmer made his 250th appearance for the Gills on Saturday and has been a real standout performer this season.

Gills boss Evans said: “I have watched Max many times and been against him many times. This is the best season at this club, it’s the best form he has been in.

“It’s the fittest he has been, taking on that captain’s armband with no added burden on him because he is playing that well and feels that good.

“I talk to him most days, we speak in the evenings, message each other a lot and he will take great pride in playing that 250th game. The club will take great pride in the fact that we gave him that and hopefully he can get a lot more.”

Ehmer had the captaincy previously but isn’t being weighed down with the pressure of fighting a relegation battle this season.

Evans said: “He was captain before, in a poor spell for the team.

“He can focus on leading the troops on the pitch and leave all the other things that a captain normally has to do to the management team here. We are experienced enough to do it between us.

“He embraces it and he loves it – he would be my choice for captain every day of the week.”

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