New Gillingham manager Justin Edinburgh says he will learn from assistant boss Andy Hessenthaler.

Edinburgh is happy to work with Hessenthaler and new first-team coach Steve Lovell rather than bringing in his own backroom team.

“I was very much a big part of that decision,” said Edinburgh. “I would be a fool not to be tapping into that knowledge.

“I’m a young, up-and-coming manager, a modern-day manager that’s open to people’s opinions and ideas.

“I think that’s the way you have to be but it’s always got to be my final decision, which it will be, but I’m very happy that the guys have accepted the opportunity to continue to work with myself.

“I’ve had many a battle with Hess. I think we’ve scarred each other a couple of times!

“His passion is similar to the chairman’s for this football club. There probably isn’t a role he hasn’t had and I don’t think you can get enough of those people.

“They’re important and Steve, I think from my meetings with him over the last 10 days, he’s impressed me immensely with his knowledge of football and the input he’s had here.”

Edinburgh won the FA Cup and League Cup as a player with Tottenham but has never managed above League 1 – unlike Hessenthaler.

The new manager added: “It would have been daft not to have tapped into that wealth of knowledge in terms of Gillingham Football Club itself but obviously Hess has managed in the Championship and I can only learn from that.

“I’m a young manager who’s got a lot to learn but I’m willing to do that.

“Steve has a wealth of experience as well and it’s a great mix – myself as a defender, Steve as a striker and Andy a midfield player.

“I think we’ll all have good ideas to bounce off one another and I really look forward to the task in hand."

See Monday's Medway Messenger for six pages of Gillingham coverage