Former Millwall and QPR midfielder Marc Bircham is now the hot favourite to be the next Gillingham manager.

Bircham’s rise to the top of the pile comes after Bromley manager Andy Woodman effectively ruled himself out of the running despite having held talks with Gillingham chairman Paul Scally.

KSN understands a satisfactory compensation package couldn’t be agreed for the former Newcastle United and Arsenal coach and Woodman has elected to stay at promotion chasing Bromley rather than join The Gills in a relegation battle.

Woodman said after Bromley’s 2-1 win at Grimsby Town on Saturday that he would be focusing on the Ravens’ game against Woking on Tuesday:

“I have to be honest to myself and with my family, and I have to be honest with my chairman more importantly.”

“It’s dragged on a little bit and I think sometimes in life when things drag on a little bit you know it’s not the right thing.”

“So my focus is in Bromley, and that’s where it’s going to be.”

With Woodman out of the running, the bookies have been looking at all of the other candidates and Bircham is now the front runner having recently managed Waterford in the Irish First Division.

Bircham has coaching experience at Millwall, Chicago United and Arizona Fire as well as having been caretaker manager at QPR and the technical director for the Bahamas national team.

At 43 years old, Bircham is still relatively unproven and certainly doesn’t have the experience at League One level, but the former Canadian international seems set to take over at Priestfield.

Bircham’s time at Waterford was a short one having only taken over there in May 2021, but found out via Twitter in November that he’d been sacked by chairman Richard Forrest after the pair apparently fell out.

Whether Bircham is just what Gillingham need at the moment is anyone’s guess, but all eyes will be on Priestfield this evening to see if he is sat in the stands watching what could be his new side.