Gillingham head coach Stephen Clemence insists captain Shaun Williams remains part of their plans.

The Gills skipper hasn’t been named in the squad for the Gills in their last two league games and the 37-year-old has only featured as a substitute in two FA Cup fixtures since Clemence took over as head coach.

Williams’ last start came at Walsall in mid-October when playing under caretaker boss Keith Millen. He was substituted before the hour mark in a 4-1 defeat.

The former Millwall man was handed a new deal in April after helping revive the team’s fortunes in the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Despite his lack of action, Clemence said: “Shaun is very much a part of things for me. He has been great since I have come into the club.

“He is obviously a top professional, he has had a wonderful career up until this moment.

“He is in training but if I am going to make substitutions in games I try to make more attacking substitutions, and that is where Shaun has probably missed out at the moment.

“He is disappointed but you have to react in the right way, come back and still try and get in the team, which I am sure he will do.”

Williams has made 49 league appearances for the Gills since moving to the club in the summer of 2022 and was made captain by former boss Neil Harris.

With Williams out of the team, vice captain Max Ehmer has been wearing the arm-band in recent games after he returned to the starting XI. Prior to that Scott Malone had been named matchday captain.