Peter Taylor has decided against pursuing his interest in former Crystal Palace left-back Gary Borrowdale.

The 29-year-old has been training with the Gills all summer in a bid to prove his fitness to boss Taylor.

But despite showing improvements, Taylor didn’t feel he was at a good enough level – fitness wise – to endure the rigours of League 1.

Taylor said: “I still felt he was a distance away from being in a position where I could offer him a contract. I didn’t want to keep letting him down, or keep not giving him a decision.

“We agreed it was going to be August (when we made a decision) and I felt he was still not ready to play League 1 football, especially on a Saturday or a Tuesday.”

Borrowdale, who was released by QPR two years ago, initially joined the Gills in January but he never made an appearance, after struggling to reach the desired levels at the back end of last season.

He returned this summer and Only Doug Loft played more minutes than the defender during the pre-season campaign but it wasn’t enough.

“He might come back and train with us in the future but at the minute he is finished with us,” said the Gills boss.

“He has done very well with us this pre-season and he has lost weight every week, got fitter every week and his body shape is looking better every week but it was in the summer I felt he needed to do that.

“How he is starting to look now is how he should have come back in July.

“Unfortunately he didn’t and he did exercises that didn’t work and took the wrong advice and that set him back. At the minute I can’t afford to put someone in (the squad) who is not 90 minutes fit.”

Taylor is continuing to look at former Fulham full-back Alex Brister, who featured for the Gills at Ebbsfleet on Saturday.