“Go for it!” was Steve Bruce’s advice when Stephen Clemence first told his old boss there was a chance to be head coach at Gillingham.

Manager Bruce and his long-time coach Clemence were let go by West Brom a year ago, and after working together for over a decade in management, it was time for the young assistant to go it alone.

Bruce started his own football career at Gillingham in the early 1980s before going on to play and manage at the top of the English game. Clemence is starting out his own career as a head coach at the same club.

“I am really excited,” said Clemence, ahead of his first game in charge. “I have been very loyal to Steve and like he has to me.

“I would never have left his side for something else, I have had opportunities in the past, but when we came out of our last job he said to me: ‘It’s your time now, go and do it, you’re ready’ and that’s what I decided to do.

“Steve is a great man, he has done so much for me and when I first started working for him, I was one of his old players, he saw something in me to want to take me on.

“Our relationship has grown over the years, we have got closer and closer. The main reason I think he has taken me around is because I am good at my job, I like to think that.

“When he heard about this interest he said to me: ‘Go for it!’. He said: ‘You are more than ready, it’s your time now’. It is quite special because he started his playing career at Gillingham and I am now starting my head coaching career here.

“We have been speaking a lot on the phone over the last couple of weeks and I know he will always be there if I need advice.”

For his own assistant, Clemence chose 43-year-old Robbie Stockdale, the former Middlesbrough defender who went onto have experience in the lower leagues as a player and more recently was manager at Rochdale.

Clemence said: “He has some experience of League 2, which I thought was beneficial to me.

“When I came out of the game a year ago, I went and watched a lot of League 1 and League 2 football because I thought if I was going to get an opportunity to be head coach that was where it would be. I was not going to get a head coaching role in the Premier League or the Championship, I understand where I am at.

“Me and Robbie have been going to see games together, we have put a lot of work in and I really admire him, he is a great coach. We did the pro licence together eight or nine years ago and he is going to be a good person to have around the club, he will really help me.”

Since losing his job at West Brom and searching for that next challenge, Clemence made sure he took time out to be with his family.

He said: “I have been in the game for 30 years, I had some time with my family, two or three holidays which I don’t normally get to do in the winter. We have been skiing.

“My kids are 19, 18 and 16 now and I missed a lot of them growing up. They love the football and love coming to games and being at the different clubs I have been at but I felt I owed them some time.

“I think they are fed up with me now and happy I am back at work!”