We look at the favourites to become new Shrewsbury manager as new Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth speaks in his first interview.
In his first interview since the appointment, Ainsworth expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity ahead, previously holding discussions, and also glad it’s closer to home.
Shrewsbury, where Ainsworth had been head coach since November 2024, reacted with notable dismay to his exit. Chairman Roland Wycherley issued an open letter to supporters expressing “shock and dismay” at Ainsworth’s decision to leave.
FAVOURITES TO BECOME NEW SHREWSBURY MANAGER:
BetVictor – 26th March – 4pm
Michael Duff – 4/1
Rob Edwards – 5/1
Leam Richardson – 5/1
Craig Harrison – 6/1
Jon Brady – 8/1
Mark Kennedy – 8/1
Shaun Maloney – 10/1
Ian Evatt – 10/1
Brian Barry Murphy – 10/1
Paul Warne – 12/1
Garry Monk – 14/1
Des Buckingham – 14/1
Ryan Mason – 16/1
Rob Page – 16/1
Luke Williams – 16/1
John Coleman – 16/1
Interviewer: Give us your first thoughts on having officially arrived at the club
Gareth: Yeah the last week has been crazy it really has you know and obviously coming here was a huge decision you know big decision for me a lot of things coming into that but yeah initial reaction is everyone’s welcoming nice journey over you know which was was better than I thought and yeah looking forward to getting stuck in now you know it’s a day off today for the players so tomorrow I want to get going with the players get them out on the pitch and uh and you know make good direction for the game on Saturday but yeah we first thoughts is the club I’ve thought I’ve played here many times and managed here a couple of times as well tough place to come and I want to make that happen again
Interviewer: Talk us through the move, just talk us through that move what was it about this club that made you feel you wanted to come here
Gareth: Yeah listen the move from Shrewsbury I mean there’s a precursor to this because last summer Gillingham approached me and Richard Dobson when we were both out of work and we had something else bubbling around the pipeline I’m sure Brad and Shannon won’t mind me saying and we held out for something that didn’t happen and we cut our losses and said okay that would have been a good move Gillingham of course but we held out and we’ve kept an eye on things obviously from a distance but then shrew be came in and it felt great and that club I have to say is a fantastic club means a lot to me people will probably be watching this shouting at the screen now but it did you know and the chairman there is a great guy, fantastic, you know that they’re 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 you know.
“Speaking with Brad and Shannon again I wanted to talk again and it all came from there you know I’ve met Brad, Shannon’s great you know and she’s over here a lot doing a lot of the uh the day-to-day stuff here you know it’s a move that excites me because there’s a plan in place you know for for the next two seasons there’s a journey in place there’s there’s how we’re going to get there you know a real sort of outline of what they want to do that attracted me and obviously the bonus living at home again is big you know being away from home was tough for me so living at home that’s a bonus that I get with this as well but you know the club does excite me it’s a club that obviously let’s say played against in the Championship, in League One and League Two and and I think I really feel it’s underachieved for a couple of years and I think that there’s a chance to build something special here and I want to have a go at that because things are in place now you know I’ve spoke about all that behind the scenes the structure and how they want to do it it’s all in place so that’s what I’ve uh that’s what I’ve been excited by and looking forward to getting stuck into that
Watch the whole interview in the YouTube video at the top of the article.
Gillingham appoint Gareth Ainsworth as Shrewsbury express ‘dismay’ and ‘shock’ in open letter
Gareth Ainsworth ‘walks out’ of Shrewsbury Town to take over at Gillingham
Twitter users reacted amid the favourites to become new Shrewsbury manager and the new Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth speaks…
@keelan_____: Here before Shrewsbury fans flood the comments with their tears
@RuytonShrew: “Shrewsbury is a club that means a lot to me… The chairman there is a great guy… They’re trying to get some investment in and that place is set up for some good success…” – There is nothing hear that suggests we’ve let him down. He’s very much let us down. #Salop
@jamiesomersuk: Is this the interview he did for us 16 weeks ago ?
@JRGills2000: Shrewsbury fans sound like an angry ex 
“he’s a liar and he left me at my worst 
”
@EdSalop1:
say buy-in to me 
say the word journey
say the players will give everything
@194Royc: He said the same at Shrewsbury 
@TheME7Podcast: Finally. A manager that actually comes out and says we’ve got to earn the right to be successful, good to hear some realistic aims.
@GazParry10: Clearly didn’t throw away his script on the piece of paper from four months ago. I wonder if the post match interviews will follow a similar trend. They were great to hear for the first 4 weeks until the same repeated patronising drivel after each defeat.
@willthomas67: Some of that is genuinely word for word, what a performer ahaha
@BradPassey: Said this to the #Salop fans. BG/SG must of told him to try sell some season tickets in the process 2 year season tickets pending… #Gills
@Alexjm05: Nice to see he kept his script from when he was with us 
#Salop
@KFG2003: Love the first interview from Ainsworth. Wants every player to come off the pitch knackered. A passionate interview, got to get behind him #Gills
@mike_gammon: I kept away from it all yesterday, however here are my thoughts RE: Ainsworth appointment (fully expecting replies of “No-one asked mate”). 1. I do think Coleman should have had until end of season, for the purposes of having the best picture available on progress and to avoid unnecessary expenditure in compensation and clause payments. 2. The results didn’t work in Coleman’s favour, although the effort saw a marked improvement. Ultimately, this is a results game and you live and die by them as a manager. 3. As it stood, Coleman wasn’t the man to take us forward based on those results. Yes, we re-discovered that ability to be difficult to beat, however we weren’t in the business of winning games. 4. I don’t care about Ainsworth’s record, only what he does in our dugout. 5. I do believe that as we lost out on Lindsey to Crawley, the club’s hand was forced to take Ainsworth now so as to avoid missing out again. 6. Whoever is at the helm, the current recruitment structure and results are nowhere near good enough. This needs to be addressed or we will be here again in Dec 7. Ainsworth is in now, it doesn’t matter if as a fan you’re underwhelmed or whatever, this is it. The club and its progress is all that matters from here. 8. Can we stop changing managers please? It’s difficult to explain to my wife why she keeps seeing a different bloke in the dugout every few months!9. I wish Ainsworth every success at our club, and I really hope he provides some form for us to enjoy. 10. Up the Gills!
