Frank Nouble has signed for Gillingham’s League 1 rivals Southend United.

Blues boss Phil Brown was quick to snap up the forward following his release by new Gills head coach Ady Pennock.

The 25-year-old joined the Gills in October on a short-term deal under former boss Justin Edinburgh.

Former West Ham and Ipswich striker Nouble had been training with the Gills for several weeks before he signed, after spending last season at Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian.

It was his second spell at the club following an impressive loan stay in 2011, when he scored five times in 12 league starts.

But he was less prolific this time around, scoring just once in his 12 league appearances, five of which came from the bench.

His deal was up at the turn of the year, with his last appearance against Oxford on January 2. Edinburgh had said he wanted to keep the frontman but Pennock’s arrival signalled the end for the striker.

Southend have handed him a deal until the end of the season following a successful week-long trial.

The Gills play Southend at Priestfield on Saturday, February 25.