Gillingham’s trip to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday will mark another first in the career of boss Gareth Ainsworth. 

Not only are Ainsworth and assistant Richard Dobson returning to the Club that they left to join the Gills, but it is the first time that the duo will have managed against a former club on their home ground. 

Speaking to KSN at this week’s briefing, Ainsworth admitted, “I don’t think that I have actually managed at a former Club before, which is amazing!” 

“I didn’t go back to Wycombe, which is where I started, and haven’t been back to QPR to manage and so this will be the first time in what six hundred and fifty games as a manager nearly that I have actually gone back to a former club. 

“I’ve managed against both Wycombe and QPR when they have come to “home” grounds, so it is the first one which is going to be crazy!” 

“I know what it’s like as a player – I was lucky enough to have given everything, absolutely everything as a player… never stopped running, never stopped working and I think every club that I have been back to has been a “nice” atmosphere, but this one, I honestly don’t know!

“I am hoping that the Shrewsbury fans know that I gave everything, I just couldn’t give much more with different issues, and I just have to get up there on Saturday and see how it is. I will give everything for Gillingham just as I did for Shrewsbury and that’s who I am, and you will never take that out of me.” “It will be good to get back there,” Ainsworth continued.

“It will be nice to see some people again. Obviously, I am expecting to be the pantomime villain as football does throw up a lot – but that’s football! Shrewsbury was a good club and I enjoyed my time there, and it was unfortunate things went the way that they did and I ended up coming here, but I am loving Gillingham now and everyone in Shrewsbury will know that I always give one hundred percent to whatever badge is on my chest, and Gillingham is on there now. 

“It’s going to be a good day – I know the place, there are some really good people who work there and it will be nice to see them, but we are going for the points and we want to win the game and get back to winning ways.” 

“I think we have had two performances there that weren’t the best. I think we could have got something more from Crawley, but Barnet we were off it a bit, and I have not seen that for a while, but we have definitely been on it this week – the boys have responded well to the weeks training, and we are looking forward to travelling Friday and going back to Meadow and seeing everyone but hopefully coming away with the points.” 

“We are back on an unbeaten run, which is great. We are hard to beat and teams that are hard to beat are averagely successful. We do need to turn some of the home games into wins definitely – I am not stupid; I want us to do that, but if we did manage to win on Saturday, that’s two wins and two draws in four games which would be good form for anyone in this League. It’s a really open League and anyone can beat anyone… the boys have responded well in training this week, but the proof will be in the pudding at three o’clock on Saturday.” 

Ainsworth confirmed that Andy Smith, Euan Williams, Conor Masterson and Glenn Morris will all still be missing from the squad, although there is better news of Morris as he is back in training this week, but the manager also added that Williams and Masterson are likely to be missing for another few weeks still.