The former Portsmouth youngster who turned down Southampton and is now in demand after flying goal form

He finished the season with 31 goal contributions at a club who endured more than its fair share of turmoil.

So it’s no surprise Pompey fan and former Academy youngster Jack Nolan is a man in demand this summer.

After bagging 17 strikes for Accrington in League Two, with a run of 10 finishes in 18 games on the way to that total, Nolan is now being linked with a move to ambitious League Two outfit Gillingham.

That was according to reports last night, though Accy boss Andy Holt took to social media to suggest there was a way to go until a deal was formalised.

Nolan didn’t make any waves at senior level at Pompey but he did turn down Southampton to join the club he supports, before moving on to Reading as a promising talent at 14.

The 23-year-old moved on without making a senior appearance at the Madejski Stadium, joining Walsall before being picked up by John Coleman on a free in 2021.

It’s been this term when Nolan has really began to blossom, with his form catching fire over the second half of the campaign.

Despite that, the attacking talent did receive some online criticism, as Accrington struggled after their relegation last term and friction behind the scenes at the club.

That led to Nolan speaking publicly and with a fair amount of maturity, after a 3-0 defeat to Bradford in March.

Owner Andy Holt has put the club up for sale with long-serving boss Coleman sacked amid a very stormy and public break-up, before John Doolan was named as boss in March.

And there is likely to be a turnover of players again at the club this summer, as there usually is with Accrington as they look to balance the books.

It looks like Nolan could be following another former Blues academy youngster out of the Crown Ground this summer, with Tommy Leigh being touted for a move to Burton.

A fee of around £100,000 is reported to have been agreed for the ex-Bognor and Baffins Milton Rovers midfielder, who has also been linked with Lincoln.