Gillingham manager Steve Evans is confident fans will enjoy watching his new loan recruit.

Evans tried to sign versatile forward Jordan Roberts in the summer of 2018 but the player chose to join Ipswich Town instead on a two year deal.

The 26-year-old, who has signed until the end of the season, played 12 games for the Tractor Boys in the Championship last season before joining Lincoln City in the second half of that campaign.

He has barely seen any action during the current season but there was one notable run-out which Evans remembers well.

“He took us apart in the EFL Trophy game earlier this season,” said the Gills boss, watching on that night as his team were comfortably beaten 4-0, with Roberts getting one of the goals.

“He is not part of (Ipswich manager) Paul Lambert’s plans, that has been clear from the outset, despite his games in the Championship but my connection with Jordan goes back to when he left Crawley .

“I met the kid two or three times and tried to convince him to come to another club but obviously Ipswich and the power of them came calling and he chose them but we have watched him with interest.

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“He can play anywhere across the front three, as a front two, a single boy or out wide.

“He is a good, good signing but judge him on what he does. I said that about Alfie Jones and Tommy O’Connor and Connor Ogilvie when I put him in at left-back. Supporters will like this player.”

Roberts trained with his new team-mates on Thursday and is available to face Peterborough United - the club had was with as a junior - this weekend.

He has only played once in League 1 for Ipswich this season, on as a last minute substitute in their game against Sunderland at the start of the season. He played 90 minutes in their League Cup defeat to Luton, again back in August, and since then he has only appeared in their EFL Trophy fixtures.

Along with his goal against the Gills, he also scored twice against Tottenham's under-21s in a 2-1 win and played the full Trophy game against Peterborough United.

Prior to his Ipswich Town move he had spent two seasons with Crawley, a year in Scotland with Inverness and started his professional career at Aldershot.