Mark Marshall has some catching up to do but showed a bit of what he is about on Friday night.

Assistant boss Paul Raynor was delighted with the winger’s first outing, against Southend United, performing brightly despite being behind his team-mates in the fitness stakes.

Marshall was released by Charlton at the end of last season and has been working on his own to get fit. His first training session with Gillingham was on Thursday after agreeing to sign for the club.

“We were particularly pleased with Mark Marshall,” said Raynor, following the draw with fellow League 1 side Southend.

“I thought until he tired he was absolutely magnificent. The quality of the crosses coming in from the right side were excellent and he was a real menace in the early part of the game.

“He will only get better the more his fitness gets better.

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“He has done a lot of running, by his own admission, on his own, until he got himself fixed up and he hasn’t played a lot of football.

“He said he felt a bit rusty, but if that’s him rusty then there is a lot more to come. We’re delighted with him.”

Gillingham signed Marshall on Thursday, just days after losing fellow winger Nathan Thomas.

The Gills were left short in the wide area following Thomas’ exit on compassionate grounds as his family was struggling to settle.

Manager Steve Evans returned to former target Marshall, now 32. He has spent the last two seasons with Charlton having previously played for Barnet, Port Vale and Bradford City.

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