Ady Pennock has been confirmed as Gillingham's new boss.

Pennock will be heading up a coaching department alongside Jamie Day and Steve Lovell on a deal until the end of the season.

League 2 club Notts County were also keen to speak to Pennock about their managerial vacancy but the chance to take over at his local side and revive their fortunes meant they never stood a chance.

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Gills chairman Paul Scally said: "I am convinced they will enhance the performances of the first-team squad going forward

"The current squad is the most expensive in the history of Gillingham Football Club, it has enormous potential and is capable of achieving great success over the remainder of the season and beyond."

Pennock takes over from Justin Edinburgh, who was sacked on Tuesday, following a poor run of results.

Mr Scally added: "I felt a change was necessary to ensure that the club achieves the best possible position it can after the final 21 fixtures of this campaign."

Video: Ady Pennock appointed Gillingham head coach

Pennock played for the Gills between 1996 and 2003 and has watched a number of their matches this season. He was in the crowd for the game against Oxford.

Jamie Day is also part of the new set-up. He was assistant to Pennock at Forest Green Rovers last season and recently returned to Welling United for his second spell at the club.

Steve Lovell has returned as part of the coaching team. He was part of the managerial team that enjoyed success in the interim period following Peter Taylor's sacking and Edinburgh's appointment.

He had been working as assistant manager at Bromley.

Pennock first joined the Gills as a player in 1996, signing from Bournemouth under Tony Pulis, becoming a fans' favourite at Priestfield.

Injury ended his Football League career and he joined Gravesend & Northfleet, where his managerial career began, as an assistant manager. He later enjoyed success as manager at Welling United.

Pennock moved to Stoke City in 2007, as part of Pulis' backroom team, eventually working his way up to first team coach during his six years in the Potteries.

He was back managing in 2013, at ambitious non-league side Forest Green Rovers, taking them to their highest ever league finish in his first full season. They competed for the Conference Premier title the following year but was sacked with the team sitting second, just a week before the play-offs.

Since the end of November Pennock had been working as a consultant at Welling, alongside Day.

His first game in charge at Gillingham will be on January 14, at Oldham, as they are without a fixture this weekend.

Edinburgh, along with assistant manager David Kerslake and coach Wayne Hatswell, were sacked by Scally on Tuesday morning and have so far declined to comment.

Adam Roach, the club’s sports scientist, currently remains at the club along with goalkeeper coach Ian Pledger. Youth boss Mark Patterson took first-team training on Tuesday but the players are not back in now until Friday.