The “will he, wont he?” question hanging over the future of Brandon Hanlan was finally resolved on Thursday evening when the striker signed for Gillingham’s SKYBet League One rivals Bristol Rovers.

With the new League One season starting at the weekend, Hanlan has turned down the chance of returning to Priestfield by rejecting the clubs contract offers during the summer and now will link up with former skipper Max Ehmer at the Memorial Ground.

Speaking at his weekly press briefing before the news broke, boss Steve Evans confessed that he’d given up on resigning Hanlan. He told us, “Brandon decided not to train with us anymore which is his decision which he’s entitled to, but I think he’s been given wrong advice again. But what we have to do is right for our football club and not one person.”

“The sum we turned down was a lot more than just six figures and one hundred thousand – it was a lot more and he’s worth a lot more than that. The offer we got last week was just totally paltry and insulting to everyone – to Brandon, to this club, to everyon.

“Another club has put in a bid which is no where near the Chairman or myself value him; its not what we turned down in January as a club, but it was not enough for the Chairman to sanction it.

“I’ve got no doubt that Brandon’s representatives have probably been talking to that club as well which is what normally happens in football, but again that’s not for me to speculate what he thinks or what he doesn’t think as he’s not coming in the building at the minute, so I’ve no more thoughts towards him other than he’s somebodies kid and that that kid should be getting the best advice that would keep him training and probably keep training.”

“I’ve had to take accept that he’s not going to sign, the Chairman in my opinion upped the offers two or three levels to give him a really good offer and he still decided not to accept it and that’s his choice and his prerogative, it doesn’t stop the kid from being a smashing kid, he’s a lovely kid!

“I just think that the advice that he’s been given from outside his family has been wrong advice, but we’ll see in time!”