EXCLUSIVE by Luke Cawdell

Nicky Southall has confirmed he will re-join Gillingham as first team player-coach.

The 38-year-old will follow Gills manager Andy Hessenthaler, assistant Ian Hendon and academy boss Darren Hare from Dover Athletic.

Southall captained Dover last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Conference Premier.

It will be Southall’s fourth spell at the Gills, having already made over 300 appearances for the club since first joining in December 1997.

Southall has recently obtained a UEFA A coaching licence and he’s looking forward to returning to Priestfield.

He said: “I’m delighted. I hadn’t agreed a deal at Dover and hadn’t spoken to the manager there.

“I had the opportunity to come back to the club which I hold close to my heart and I’ve got so many fond memories there.

“I’ve been at a lot of clubs and worked with some fantastic managers and I think I’ve got a lot to offer.”

Southall is due to put pen-to-paper on a deal with the Gills in the coming days.

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• Full story in Friday's Medway Messenger newspaper