Ex-Gillingham manager and striker Steve Lovell has spoken of his joy at seeing the feel-good factor return to his former club - as he prepares to face them!

Lovell, who turned 63 last Sunday, is now in charge of Isthmian South East side Herne Bay and will watch his new charges take on a Gillingham XI in a pre-season friendly this Saturday.

He has been at the helm at Priestfield twice, once leading to Lovell taking the top job permanently and once just on a caretaker basis.

Lovell might not have a role with Gills at the moment but still has plenty of friends at the club and is enjoying watching their upturn in fortunes recently since new owner Brad Galinson took over last year.

“I’m really pleased for them,” the Welsh international, who bagged in excess of 100 club goals, told KentOnline.

“The new owners have come in and are helping the club to go forward, which is great.

“I’m glad for the supporters there, really, because they deserve something after all the years of struggle that we have had to stay in the respective leagues. I say ‘We’ - I still say ‘We!’

“Gillingham is really close to my heart. I spent many years there, as a player and a manager.

“I’m just glad [boss] Neil Harris is getting the support from everybody at the club to try and push it on this year.”

Lovell expects the Gills side Bay will face at Winch’s Field will be a youthful one.

Speaking after last Friday night’s 2-1 home win over Isthmian Premier Margate, he said: “Margate are a very good team and they’ve come down to give us a game.

“Gillingham will bring a young-ish team down on Saturday but it’ll be a different test completely.

“They like to play football and that’s what Margate tried to do on Friday night as well, to be honest.”