Andy Hessenthaler has ended speculation he will be Gillingham’s next manager.

The 49-year-old has twice managed the Gills and is currently part of a four-man caretaker team overseeing coaching while the club search for a new manager.

But he doesn’t want to be the no.1 again.

“I came here as assistant and I’m assisting, we are assisting each other. I certainly don’t want to be manager of the football club again.

"I had my time as manager and I enjoyed every minute of it but now it’s a case of four of us working together. No-one is leading it. We are all bouncing things off each other.”

Hessenthaler returned to the club as no.2 to Peter Taylor in the summer.

Taylor was sacked on New Year’s Eve and chairman Paul Scally is now searching for a replacement.

“Peter was the only reason I came back to the Football Club,” Hessenthaler told the club website.

“He convinced me to come back to be his assistant. He’s a personal friend of mine and we’ve known each other for a long, long time.

“It’s been a tough week and a sad week because he was a proper gentleman and I love working with him. It’s the second time I’ve worked with him on the coaching side of it and learned a lot.”