GILLINGHAM'S unsettled striker Marlon King has been told to carry on scoring goals and ignore the transfer speculation surrounding his future at Priestfield.

But in a revealing insight into Nottingham Forest's relentless pursuit of the 23-year-old, player-manager Andy Hessenthaler disclosed that the club "keep knocking on the door and phoning the chairman" as they step up pressure to sign King.

But the Gills manager stressed he is in no mood to sell. "There is no deal to be done right now and I see him as our player for the next 18 months," said Hessenthaler.

"What Marlon has to do is keep scoring goals. We need him back now, fit and firing on all cylinders. If he does that, up until the transfer window opens, then it will be hard for us to keep a hold of him."

Forest's desperation to sign King increased with the news that David Johnson, last season's 25-goal leading scorer, has broken a leg.

When, rather than if, King moves, Gillingham will demand at least £1.5million for a striker they paid Barnet £250,000 for in June, 2000. Included in that deal was a 20 per cent sell-on clause covering any future profit.

Hessenthaler's immediate priority is to get King fit after a hamstring injury forced him out of Monday's 2-1 defeat at Walsall.

The Gills boss rates him as having a "half decent" chance of facing second-placed promotion favourites West Bromwich Albion on Saturday at Priestfield.

Joining him back in the side could be goalkeeper Jason Brown and Nicky Southall.

Brown missed Monday's match with a strained ankle tendon while midfielder Southall has been out with an ankle injury.

Paul Shaw, who has been missing owing to a hamstring strain, is rated no better than 50-50 for Saturday.

Hessenthaler added: "If we perform the way we did at home to West Ham then we'll bounce back. It's all about consistency and unfortunately, since we've been in Division 1 that's been our problem."