Mellis swoop gets thumbs-up

Lee Johnson believes he has borrowed a potential top performer.

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JACOB Mellis has been challenged by his new manager to sharpen up and add a promotion to his career CV.

The 24-year-old midfield man officially arrived at SportsDirect.com Park last night on a loan deal from Blackpool to the end of the season.

It marks the end of a long-running chase for the player by manager Lee Johnson, who tried to land him last summer.

Mellis (24) was on board the Athletic coach that travelled south to Gillingham this morning.

Johnson reckons he has landed a potential top performer in the former Chelsea and Barnsley player.

“He has got talent and that just needs to be channelled,” Johnson told the Chronicle.

“I don’t think he is a bad kid and probably thinks he is misunderstood. What he needs is the right

environment and we believe we can provide that.

“It is on him now. There will be ups and downs, but he has the quality to be good for us.”

Nottingham-born Mellis came through the youth ranks at Chelsea after signing from his original club Sheffield United for a fee of £1million eight years ago.

After a loan to Southampton he made a permanent move to Barnsley in 2012, where he played 74 times in two seasons and scored eight goals.

Mellis has found himself out of favour at Blackpool and has started only five matches for the Seasiders this season.

His career has been marred by controversy. He was sacked by Chelsea in 2012 after admitting setting off a smoke grenade at the ground. In April of the same year he was cautioned for assault after a fight at his home in Cobham.