A phone call from Gillingham boss Justin Edinburgh finally persuaded Stuart Nelson to re-sign for the club, a year after the same man wanted him out.

Nelson was told by Edinburgh he could leave the Gills last summer before winning the manager over after impressing him on and off the pitch during pre-season.

Edinburgh picked Nelson for every game last season and then convinced him to sign a two-year deal this summer before handing him the vice-captaincy.

That turnaround from the manager was a key factor in him signing for the Gills and rejecting an offer from Southend.

Nelson said: “The gaffer played a big part in me signing. I love the club and the fans but it was a phone call from the gaffer that sealed the deal.

“People make decisions in football and that’s fine but he was man enough and big enough to change his mind. Many managers would have stuck to their original decision to save face.

“It takes a bigger person to change their mind and that was one of the main reasons for me staying.

“There was interest from another club but I didn’t want to leave. That is only credit to what I did last year and the performances I put in that I got interest. I did talk to another team but ultimately I love being here and that is what made me stay.”

Nelson signed his new deal while on holiday in Florida. The Gills, aware that there was genuine interest from Southend, who are understood to have offered the keeper more money with less travel, knew they had to act to get their man.

Nelson is preparing for his fifth season at the Gills and would love another promotion, having kept goal during the League 2 title-winning season.

The 34-year-old said: “The only thing that could make being here even better is to get promoted. I did it in League 2 and if we get into the Championship then that would be the ultimate for me."