Peter Taylor was offered the management job at Bristol City after guiding the Gills to play-off glory back in 2000.

But by then he had already accepted the challenge of a Premier League job with Leicester City.

“I got offered the Leicester job in the evening and then the Bristol City job when I first woke up,” revealed the Gills boss, ahead of their trip to Ashton Gate on Saturday.

“I didn’t turn them down because I had already agreed to join Leicester.

“It was a long time ago now and a nice situation to be in but it doesn’t happen any more! We had done well here and that’s when things like that happen.

“That’s football and when you have bad days, you are not so good not so popular.”

Taylor had been interviewed for the Bristol City hot-seat the previous summer, having lost his job as England under-21 manager but missed out as they went for Tony Pulis – who had coincidently just left the Gills.

Taylor got the job at Priestfield and led them to a play-off win over Wigan at Wembley.

“I have known the (Bristol City) club a while and always thought it was a good club,” said Taylor. “It is a terrific club with a good chairman and that club has a real chance if they get it right."