Gillingham boss Steve Evans has been hailed as ‘one of the best managers in English football’ after he steered the Gills to finish above Ipswich Town in League One last season.

East Anglian Daily Times: Steve Evans and Paul Lambert clashed last season. Picture: PA/PAGEPIXSteve Evans and Paul Lambert clashed last season. Picture: PA/PAGEPIX

Fiery Evans, who fell out with Town boss Paul Lambert last season having refused to shake his hand following the Blues’ win at Priestfield, was hailed by Gillingham chairman Paul Scally.

Scally told Kent Online: “Steve Evans is one of the best managers in English football.

“People may laugh at that but having worked very closely with him, he is an all round good manager and he has a good perception for business. He is very understanding of the pressures and strains of business and very good with the players. He doesn’t accept second best.

“We are very focused on the journey and he is very much with me, obviously frustrated like we all are about not playing football, but he has learned to deal with it. We are now planning ahead and he is very much part of that planning process.

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“Steve is exactly the right character, for me, for the football club. He has many qualities and many qualities that people don’t really see.

“We work very well together as we should do as manager and chairman.”

And Scally highlighted what Evans had achieved last season with limited resources - pointing out that other managers in the division had ‘significant budgets’, reference perhaps to Lambert.

Hes said: “I am pleased for what he has achieved for him, as much as anyone else, for myself of course, but pleased for him and the fans because we have had some lean years and some difficult years and nobody wants to see that year on year.

“Steve did it within the appropriate budget for this division and he did it understanding the budget was good and what it should be without any complaints or questions. There are other mangers in this division who have had significant budgets.”