Jack Tucker will be up against his former mentor when Gillingham take on Bristol Rovers tonight.

Before this season Tucker had Max Ehmer alongside him in every one of his previous league appearances but has had to go it alone this term after Rovers signed the Gillingham captain in the summer.

It’s been a whole new ball game for Tucker, playing most of his matches this season alongside teenage Arsenal loanee Zech Medley, who is finding his feet himself in the senior game.

Tucker has taken it in his stride, however, and has benefitted from the extra responsibility.

The 21-year-old said: “It is different obviously playing with someone else, Max has played a lot of games in League 1 now, he has seen it all. I learned a lot from playing with Max and seeing him in training, but it is just as good this year.

“It is a different experience and I have had to adapt my game in certain ways because I haven’t got that someone looking after me as much anymore.

“With Max, who was captain as well, you know what you are going to get from him and you don’t have to worry about what is going on alongside you. There is more responsibility for me this year which is different, having not played as many games as some, but it is one I am relishing at the moment.

“Both Rayns (Paul Raynor the assistant manager) and the gaffer (Steve Evans) have said to me, ‘it is time for you to man up now.’ Zech is only 20 and it is a chance for me to prove I can do it and I don’t need to someone around me to hold my hand, as such.

“I am trying to help Zech as much as I can even though I am not all that experienced but I played quite a few games last year. I am trying to pass on to him what I already know.

“Obviously we have Connor Ogilvie on the left and Ryan Jackson on the right and they have both played a lot of games in the Football League. Me and Zech are both learning from those either side of us and Jack Bonham behind us (in goal) and we are all gelling well. Relationships all over the pitch are being formed and hopefully that will start showing on the pitch.

“We had so many new faces at the start of the summer but the relationships are being formed and it is starting to show now. On and off the pitch we are getting on well and we are definitely looking up.”

Ehmer was made captain at the Memorial Stadium in the summer by former boss Ben Garner and has started every one of their league games this season. He has remained Rovers skipper under new boss Paul Tisdale.

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