GILLINGHAM manager Mark Stimson blamed naïvety after winger Aaron Brown scuppered an early exit from the club.

Brown was offered a financial settlement to leave Gillingham but that offer was withdrawn by club chairman Paul Scally after the 28-year-old spoke to someone he shouldn’t about the deal.

Stimson said: “Aaron, being a little inexperienced and naïve, told somebody who he shouldn’t have told.

“That got back to the chairman and since then that’s been quashed. Aaron regrets that he told somebody. He’s a player who has ability. It’s a about desire though. So much about football is desire.”

Brown was one of nine players Stimson wanted to move out of the club, on loan or permanently, and only he and injury victim Kelvin Jack remain.

“We’ve had no offers for him (Brown), none whatsoever unfortunately,” said Stimson.

Brown was signed in the summer on a free by Ronnie Jepson but the former Swindon man has made just 15 appearances.

He was a regular during Stimson’s early stint in charge but has appeared just once in the club’s last 16 games.