Charlie Lee made a dramatic return for the Gills on Saturday.

He spent the summer in talks with Southend United and has been on the transfer list since the end of May.

But despite little involvement in Gills’ pre-season matches, he was a surprise inclusion in manager Martin Allen’s team to face Colchester United.

Allen said: “He played well last Friday in a (reserve) game here and I enjoyed watching him play.

“Everyone knows that if people do well in training and play well, then we generally do pick them. The move to Southend didn’t happen for some reason or another and I thought ‘just play him’.”

With Charlie Allen injured, boss Allen had few other options in midfield.

He said: “We have 17 players. So if he is a contracted player, then it would be foolish not to use him.

“The crowd like Charlie, the players like Charlie and I like Charlie. We all like Charlie. He was superb. We haven’t had him for a bit of pre-season so he got a bit tired after an hour, which was to be expected.”

Lee came off in the second half with a bruised foot.