Steve Evans planning to make Priestfield a fortress under his tenure.
Steve Evans says he cannot wait to get started at Priestfield as he looks to make Gills home ground a fortress ahead of the 2019/20 Sky Bet League 1 season.
The 56-year-old officially took charge at the home of Football in Kent on Saturday and is busy behind the scenes finalising pre-season plans and working on player recruitment.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “I’m looking forward to it. The atmosphere here is always good and the supporters give the team some outstanding backing and I’ve been here as a neutral and watched that as well. I had three or four clubs to choose from over the last couple of months but the hardest task was here at the Gills, but I’ve never been frightened to shirk a challenge.
“The best I’ve seen it [Priestfield] is when I came here with a Rotherham United side fighting for promotion from League 2 and Martin Allen was in charge of the Gills and the atmosphere here that day was electric.
“I’ll be doing my best to make sure that Priestfield becomes the fortress that it’s been when the good days have been here.”
Evans is determined to improve on what the Gills achieved last season and has called on everyone at the club to come together and get right behind the team from the word go.
He said: “It’s going to be a rollercoaster. We’re going to improve the team for sure, we are going to be better for sure. We know the size of the clubs and the teams and the quality of players that are at the top end of League One and the Gills are a little away from that at the minute. We’ve got to hope by the time we roll in for that first Saturday in August and we're playing in League One that we’re ready.
“Just give us an opportunity and you’ll not be disappointed at the end of it, that’s for sure.”
The Manager revealed that although he had been present at Gills games during the latter part of last season, he was scouting Tomas Holy on behalf of a Championship club.
He said: “I’ve known the Chairman here for many years but from a distance I think people have seen me here earlier in the season and quickly putting two and two together and may now look like they’ve come up with four, but I was actually looking at Tomas Holy for a Championship club.
“I’d been asked to do an assessment on whether that person would be good enough so, it just transpires that coming in and watching those games led to conversations but I’m delighted to be here and the opportunity is a big one, but the task is a big one too.”