Neil Harris is fully aware of what this Saturday’s League game with Swindon Town means to the Priestfield faithful, and has relayed the history and the passion of the fixture to Gillingham’s current squad.

“I was told when I played in the fixture what was involved and it’s not for me to bring up again before the game. One thing is sure and that is that we are a proud football club, and I was a passionate footballer as I am as a manager as people who sit near the dug out will confirm.”

“It means a lot to us to represent the Club on Saturday – it means a lot to me – and I want the players to perform as it means a lot to them as well as it does to the fanbase,” Harris admitted.

“I guess an “outsider” wouldn’t understand the rivalry between the two sides given the distance between the two… Three points will be important not just because of the rivalry, but because we have been so close so many times already. We’ve got to become a ninety-minute team rather than a forty-five or sixty minute one – we’ve got to be a ninety-minute team like we were against Rochdale!”

“It’s important as we’ve stopped and started so far; we’ve had excitement in the signings, we’ve had those we’ve missed out on. We had a good pre-season in my opinion – we’ve been good for a couple of games and then taken steps back.”

“We were unlucky last week at Carlisle, but that doesn’t wash with me – we have to cover all angles which makes the three points important because it’s momentum and it’s confidence and it’s belief for the group.”

Harris admitted that he thought he’d managed to secure a striker on loan before the transfer window closed this week only to be beaten by a League One side literally at the last minute, but one deadline deal that the manager was able to secure was the return to the club of Robbie McKenzie.

“Robbie had lots of offers and he’s taken the decision over the summer that he wants something that is right for him and his girlfriend. There was never any dispute with him, and I’ve been talking to him through the summer, and I was a little bit surprised that he was still available for us.”

“Ultimately, the bottom line is that he was there, and we were still looking, and it all fell into place really.”

New loan signing Haji Mnoga goes straight into the squad for the weekend whilst McKenzie probably won’t be included against Swindon. The manager is hoping that Jordan Green will be fit to play after pulling out of Wednesday’s Papa John’s Trophy game at Charlton. Shaun Williams and Dom Jeffries will be both available after getting minutes at The Valley, whilst Stuart O’Keefe and Max Ehmer return after being rested.