Gareth Ainsworth breaks silence in first interview since leaving Shrewsbury Town

The 51-year-old completed a shock switch to the fourth-tier side on Tuesday, when he left Salop, who are bottom of the League One table, to sign a deal with the Gills until the end of the 2026/27 campaign. 

The former Salop head coach had repeatedly spoken about how he had long-term plans in Shropshire, before jumping ship after just four months in charge. 

Speaking in an interview with Gillingham's media team, his first interview since he left his position as Town head coach, he said: "We have kept an eye on things from a distance (on Gillingham). 

"And then Shrewsbury came in, and it felt great.

"The club, I have to say, is a fantastic club, it means a lot to me, people will probably be watching this shouting at the screen now - but it did.

"The chairman there is a great guy, they are trying to get some investment in, and that place is set up for some good success.

"But Gillingham approached Shrewsbury for permission to speak to me, and it all came from there.

"It is a move that excites me.

"The bonus of living at home again is big. Living away from home was tough for me, so living at home is a bonus that I get with this as well." 

During Shrewsbury's recruitment drive in January, the former boss repeatedly spoke about the difficulties of bringing players to Shropshire due to its location. 

And he said the geography of living close to home is an added bonus too. 

"The last week has been crazy," he continued. "It really has. Coming here was a huge decision for me - there were a lot of things coming into that.

"My initial reaction is that everyone is welcoming. Nice journey over which was better than I thought, and I am looking forward to getting stuck in.

"There is a precursor to this because last summer, Gillingham approached me and Dobbo (Richard Dobson) when we were both out of work. But we had something else in the pipeline, and we held out for something that did not happen, and we cut our losses."