Gillingham boss Steve Lovell hopes leading scorer Tom Eaves can fire them up the table after praising the striker's improved form.

Nine-goal Eaves eased the pressure on Lovell with two goals against Bradford last weekend.

The striker's reputation is growing by the week and his double came hot on the heels of a breathtaking goal-of-the-season contender at Portsmouth.

Dropped earlier in the season, Lovell has been impressed with the 26-year-old's response since returning to the team.

Lovell said: "Tom has been great and has improved this year, with his hold up play, his heading, his movement – everything about his game has improved.

"You won't have seen a better goal at the weekend than his first on Saturday. DJ (Oldaker) hit the ball 50 yards straight onto his foot but the way Tom's controlled it and then hit it with his left foot, that was top quality.

"A goalscorer will always get interest from people. We love him here, everyone does. Goalscorers are hard to replace.

"Anybody who is scoring goals is an asset and he is a massive asset to us. I love him being at this club.

"Whatever happens happens but he is with us and all I want to do is improve him as a player, to help move us up that league.

"If he ends up with 25 goals this year then brilliant for him and if he does that, it has helped us."

Eaves, who has scored a third of Gillingham's goals under Lovell, signed a two-year deal when he joined 18 months ago from Yeovil.

A new contract could be in the offing if he continues his impressive form.

"I am sure the chairman will want to do something soon," Lovell said.

"We would like to keep him, he's a Gillingham player, the fans love him here.

"I love him to bits, all the players do and he is performing on the football field.

"There is no reason why we don't want him here for longer but that is not down to me, that is down to the chairman to sort.

"Hopefully, they can and I am sure he has that in his mind. I don't want anyone to go anywhere.

"You expect (interest) and with quite a few of our players, if they are performing well and we are performing well, like any team, there could be interest.

"I am not bothered about that, they are here with us at the moment.

"What I want to concentrate on is getting them to improve their game. If they all improve, we improve as a team and that is what we are looking

for."

Eaves, who finished last season with 18 goals, will lead the line this weekend for Gillingham as they host Joey Barton's Fleetwood at Priestfield in League 1.

This season is not the first time Lovell has taken Eaves out of the firing line but he has always got a positive response.

Lovell said: "I am so pleased for him. Even the times I have pulled him out of the squad, I have spoken to him about the reasons why, because I have gone through it myself as a centre-forward.

"There are times you don't get goals and you become a bit stale. You need to be taken out for a bit to regroup and you go back in hungrier.

"You can't fault Tom's work-rate and it doesn't matter how he is playing, he will give everything."