Gillingham manager Andy Hessenthaler insists he will be more than happy to see former midfielder Luke Rooney return to Priestfield on Saturday.

Rooney swapped Priestfield for the County Ground in a January transfer move after being coveted by Swindon manager Paulo Di Canio for some time and will now be back at the club this weekend, where he spent three seasons as a professional.

The 21 year old midfielder has settled in well with the league leaders and despite having moved to one of Gillingham’s main rivals for a six figure fee, Hessenthaler insists he will be more than happy to see Rooney back at Priestfield:

“It will be nice to see Luke. He made a decision to move on and we did it okay out of it, and he did okay out of it too,” he said.

“We offered him a deal but he decided to have a fresh challenge somewhere else and he has gone there and played quite a few games. Paolo has changed it around at times and he has been in and out, but he has contributed massively.

“He is a good player and I have always said that.” he told the club’s official website.

“He is a spark and sometimes you need that when the game is stretched and bringing someone like him on, or when he starts games he can make something happen. He was great to work with but he was frustrating at times.”

Rooney’s return will be no doubt greeted with a mixed reception from the Priestfield crowd. Some will appreciate what he did whilst at the club, where as others will be less than hospitable after moving to Swindon.