Gillingham have brought in Kenny Jackett as director of football and there's a familiar face taking on the head of recruitment role.

Andy Hessenthaler has returned to the club as part of a new-look back-room team under manager Neil Harris. Hessenthaler's departure from Dover was announced earlier.

Jackett, 60, has a wealth of knowledge having managed at Watford, Swansea, Millwall, Wolves, Rotherham, Portsmouth and Leyton Orient over a 26-year period. Harris played under Jackett at Millwall for four years, winning promotion to the Championship in 2010.

Harris has been working with a skeleton staff during his time at the Gills but will now get plenty of support. It's a key month as the club look to recruit new players to turn their season around.

Hessenthaler has returned for another stint - this time as head of recruitment.

The former playing legend and two-time manager has quit his role as boss of National League South Dover to take on the new challenge.

Hessenthaler is a friend of Harris and the pair played together at Gills for a short period.

The current transfer window is the biggest one in the club's history, as Harris looks to improve the fortunes of a side sitting bottom of League 2 and currently on a path towards non-league football.

Hessenthaler has watched Gillingham's last two games from the stands - joining new chairman Brad Galinson at Stevenage - and Harris will be keen to get to work straight away with his new colleagues, as he looks to assemble a new-look team in place by January 14, when they return to league action.

Hessenthaler needs no introduction to Gills fans. A club legend as a player and a manager who twice came close to making the play-offs in League 2 during his second spell in charge. The first saw him lead the club to their highest ever Football League position in their history, 11th place in what was then Division 1 (now the Championship).

That first management stint at Gills, as player-manager, ended midway through 2004/05 season, a campaign which finished with the Gills relegated from the Championship, ending five memorable seasons in the second tier.

Following a couple of promotion campaigns as manager of Dover, Hessenthaler returned to Gills for two years between 2010-2012, and two eighth-placed finishes in League 2, but wasn't given the chance to challenge for a third season.

He was, however, appointed director of football days after his departure as manager, playing his part in the club's eventual promotion under his replacement, Martin Allen.

Hessenthaler was back as Gills again as assistant manager to Peter Taylor in 2014 and was part of a caretaker team that took over the running of the side when Taylor was sacked at the end of that year.

He went onto manage Leyton Orient for a time and Eastleigh before returning to Dover for his second spell. He was at Crabble during a troubled period for the club, during the Covid pandemic. He leaves them sitting 15th in National South.