Gillingham’s forward line has been reshaped with the addition of another striker on deadline day.
Birmingham City’s big front-man Josh Andrews, 22, is the fourth new signing of the January transfer window for head coach Stephen Clemence, three of which will bolster the forward line.
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Clemence has traded Lewis Walker, Macaulay Bonne and Tom Nichols for Josh Walker, Jorge Cabezas Hurtado and now Andrews.
Andrews came through the academy at Birmingham City but his Football League experience has come with loan spells at Harrogate Town, Rochdale, Doncaster Rovers and Accrington.
He netted six goals for Accrington in his 22 appearances for them in League 2 during the first half of this season. His recall by Birmingham was announced at 5pm, just before confirming a move to Gillingham for an undisclosed fee.
His loan spell the previous season at Doncaster was curtailed by injury.
Andrews told the club: “I am delighted, I am looking forward to getting started. You want to join a club with a plan, this club clearly has that and I’m on board.
“I can’t wait. I will give 100% every time I pull on the shirt; the fans can expect a target man that is going to take care of the ball, always try and be available for the team to get them up the pitch and when crosses are delivered into the box I will be on the end of them.”
Clemence will be hoping his new arrivals will help provide the goals that the Gills badly need if they want to mount a successful promotion campaign this season.
The Gills head coach said: “When I first came in it was about creating chances, we weren’t creating enough when I arrived at the club we were one of the lowest crossers in the league, not putting enough ball in the box, and strikers probably not getting enough service. Those levels have been right up there since Christmas.
“I do look at stats, you have to, it is the modern world, we are in the top three or four in most attacking areas in the league, so we are doing a lot better since Christmas, that is a positive.
“The next challenge is when those chances are coming we have to finish them off, that is the sign of a good team. You can’t create four or five good chances and not score, you have to take at least one or two of those, top players at the top level will take four or five. We have to take more of those chances.”
