Mark Stimson praised Gillingham chairman Paul Scally for backing him in the transfer market after ending a two-month pursuit to land striker Mark McCammon.

The Gills manager was able to fend off higher division teams, including Millwall, to bag the 29-year-old on a three-year deal and Stimson was keen to thank Paul Scally for backing him with the financial funds to pull off the move.

McCammon helped Doncaster to promotion from League 1 last season and ended the campaign with a play-off winner’s medal at Wembley in May.

He snubbed interest from a couple of League 1 teams and also the chance of a new one-year deal with his former club in the Championship.

The 6ft 4in Barbados international, who was once one of England’s fastest junior sprinters, was Stimson’s number one transfer target of the summer and McCammon will be meeting his new team mates for the first time today (Monday).

Stimson said: “I couldn’t say too much about it before we signed him, although I wanted to scream and shout about it.

“I want to thank the chairman for backing me. Unfortunately there were a couple of deals the club did last year that the chairman had to bite his tongue and pay some of those off who had a year left.

“The chairman trusted me and backed me. He asked who I wanted and Mark McCammon was top of my list.

“He’s a big player. We said that we were going to sign a striker and we’re not here to tell lies.

** Read the full story in Monday's Medway Messenger along with an interview from new Gills keeper Alan Julian