Gillingham chairman Paul Scally believes the club are heading into the new season with a squad as good as anything he has seen in the past.

The Gills chairman (pictured) helped guide the club into the Championship under current boss Andy Hessenthaler in 2000 and a decade later, Mr Scally believes the squad is back to its best under his reign.

Eight new players have arrived over the last two weeks and Dover’s 45-goal striker Adam Birchall became the latest newcomer on Tuesday.

Mr Scally said: "One supporter stopped me and said he has been supporting the club for 40 years and thinks this is the strongest squad we have ever had.

"I think it’s as good a squad as we’ve ever had. If you look at the squad when the likes of Hessenthaler and Paul Smith were playing, that was probably the best squad and I would say this is as good as that squad – possibly better.

"We will have to see how some of the players do. It’s a younger squad this time.

"The squad that Hessenthaler played in was a 30-plus age squad and this is more like 23. We have a lot of energy in the team and we will see. Time will tell."

Asked whether he was excited with what he and Hessenthaler had put together, Mr Scally said: "I haven’t got time to be excited because I have a million and one other things to deal with.

"I have just called an AGM for August 5 and I have to prepare for that and I have issues with Ian Hendon to resolve."

The Gills assistant manager has not been seen since his name was linked with West Ham last Friday, where he is expected to take on the role of development coach.

"He hasn’t joined West Ham," was all Mr Scally would say on the subject earlier in the week.

How do you think the current squad compares to others in the recent past? Comment below.