Defender Conor Masterson has been talking to KSN about the visit of the Milton Keynes Dons to Priestfield on the back of the news Neil Harris had been sacked.

But just a few hours before we sat down with him, the young Irishman – along with the rest of the Club’s first team squad – was told by Neil Harris that the Club had asked him and his assistant Dave Livermore to leave the Club with immediate effect. 

Visibly still shaken by the news when we met, Masterson told us, “We came in this morning thinking we were having a meeting about the game at Crewe on Tuesday as we usually do, only for the Gaffer to tell us that he was parting ways with the Club!”

“It was surreal and really a strange feeling. We had no idea whatsoever before Neil told us!” 

“He came to the dressing room, spoke to us, and told us that he had been sacked.”

“It is what it is, and we are all shocked obviously, but it’s football! It’s above our heads as players, but now we have to be professional and get on with our jobs as we’ve a big game coming up on Saturday.” 

“I have a great relationship with Neil personally, and I just want to say thank you to him for everything that he’s done for me.”

“He was a top person first and foremost and a great manager – we all really got on well with him and he was well respected in the dressing room.”

“But the football world… that is all that it is, and we must get on with our jobs!”  

Keith Millen has been put in interim charge of the Club and Masterson admitted, “he’s been around the squad for a while now and as he’s a familiar face and we know what to expect – he knows what he will want from us.” 

“As I’m talking to you now, it’s still very raw as we haven’t long found out about it, but it is a big game for us on Saturday as if we win we could go back up to second place, so we’ve got to come in on Friday and try and focus on that and get ready for the game with MK Dons.” 

“I have been through manager changes before when I was at QPR. there were a few changes. When it does and when the freshness of it goes down and as players we now have to go out in the next game and make sure we all give our best for the Club.” 

“Everyone will have an opportunity now as it is a different situation that we are in. They will be a tough team to play against – they’ve quality at the top end of the pitch, we know that, and we are expecting another tough test like every game is in League Two this season – we just must ready and get ourselves focused for Saturday.”