GILLINGHAM’S new assistant manager John Gorman has returned to his old stamping ground hoping his experience will rejuvenate the club.

Gorman, 55, was unveiled at a press conference at Priestfield as Andy Hessenthaler’s assistant and has an initial six-month deal with a view to making it a longer arrangement.

But the former England and Tottenham number two under Glenn Hoddle, said that if his old friend were to get another big job he’d be ‘stupid’ not to consider re-joining him.

For now though, Gorman, who had two spells at the club in the 1980s, is happy to be back at Priestfield. He said: “When Paul (Scally) and Andy invited me to see them and showed me around the place I have to say I was very, very impressed. Everything has moved on. The facilities are fantastic, on the playing side and the ground. We’ve got some great players at the club.

“The first thing is we’ve got to work together. I’m here to help Andy, totally to help him and give him every assistance he deserves because I think he’s done a tremendous job and sometimes almost single-handed.

“He’s a young manager and he’s playing, which is very, very difficult to do. I’m hoping that the experiences in my early coaching career when I was at Swindon with Glenn will help.

“Similarly, Glenn was a player/manager and I felt it was a good association for me with the experience I had. It helped him a lot and hopefully I can help Andy in a similar vein.”

"If the jobs's right for me (at Gillingham) I'll stay. I said when I was at Wycombe, if Glenn goes off to Barcelona then of course I've got to consider it. I'd be stupid not to.

"At the same time I want to come here and just work for this club. But if things happen they happen. I think the chairman would accept these things do happen in football."