Vadaine Oliver may not have been the headline signing of the summer but his impact in the early weeks of the season hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The former Northampton Town striker has claimed three assists and also won the penalty that led to a last-gasp equaliser against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.

He held off a Blackpool defender to help create the second for the Gills on Saturday , laying the ball off for Dominic Samuel to then do the rest. According to stats he also won more aerial duals this weekend than anyone else in the division.

Gills boss Steve Evans has been a long-time admirer of the 6ft 2inch Sheffield-born frontman and he won’t be surprised at what he’s been seeing in the first few games.

Speaking on Saturday, Evans said: “I first came across Vadaine when he was at Morecambe and he just gave my defenders a battering, in a positive way.

“I watched him three or four times last year with Northampton and I knew what (their manager) Keith Curle thought of him. I am good friends with Keith.

“I knew when we got a sniff and he was keen to come I then got the support again from the main man (the Gills chairman) and we got him in.

“He is not overly expensive, he is a lad who has come out of League 2 but with such a desire to do well and that’s what we want, we want players with that desire.”

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