Lee Chappell expects Ian Gayle the crack Dagenham and Redbridge’s starting line-up before the end of the current season.

Gayle played his last game for the Saints on Saturday, and while joint manager Jimmy Gray hasn’t given up hope of a future reunion, Chappell is less optimistic.

“Superb. That’s all I can say about him. He’s been brilliant,” said Chappell.

“He should be training with Dagenham but when he trains with us he takes a day off, makes all the sessions and works hard. I’ll be very surprised if he’s not playing for [Dagenham] at the end of the season, or if there isn’t a deal in place because he is good enough.

“I’ve been a clubs, like here and Wealdstone, where we get a lot of loan players in, he’s the only centre-half who I would call superb.”

Omar Beckles looks like the most likely to step into the role vacated by Gayle, and Chappell expects it to be seamless.

“How he was playing a league below is beyond me. He’ll do a job; he’s the same kind of player, just bigger. He’ll slip straight in and it gives a centre-midfield berth for something else to grab,” he said.