Gillingham manager Mark Stimson begins the countdown to the new season on Tuesday when the majority of the squad report back for pre-season training.

Stimson has instructed his players to return for twice-weekly sessions, just four weeks after the end of the last campaign.

The Gills boss has already had a handful of players working with fitness coach Danny Ellis and the rest will be put through their paces, two months ahead of the start of the new season, which kicks off on August 9.

Stimson will be casting a keen eye on his returning players and insists that all members of his squad will return on an equal par.

He said: “What anyone did last year counts for absolutely nothing now. Every player will get an opportunity and that includes the young kids.

“If they turn up fit and show that they are better than the seniors then they’ll get the shirt and it will be up to them to keep it.

“I don’t need players coming back thinking they’ve played 30 or 40 games last season and they’ll get straight back into the team, because that’s not going to happen.”

The Gills will open their pre-season programme on Tuesday, July 15 with a home match against Stimson’s former club Stevenage Borough.