Gillingham Football Club announce appointment of new First-Team Head Coach
Gillingham Football Club has announced it has appointed a new First-Team Head Coach.
Former Spurs and Birmingham midfielder Stephen Clemence will take charge of training for the first time tomorrow (Thursday 2 November).
He will then take charge of the Gills on Saturday (4 November) for the Emirates FA Cup first-round tie away at Hereford.
His first league fixture at the helm will be next Saturday's away game against Wrexham.
The 45-year-old and son of former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence, has coached at a number of clubs, including many in the Premier League.
His assistant will be former Rochdale manager, Robbie Stockdale.
Who is Gillingham FC's new First-Team Head Coach?
Stephen Clemence worked closely with Steve Bruce at Sunderland, Hull City, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion and won promotion to the Premier League while with Hull as Assistant Head Coach in 2016.
He coached current England International, Jack Grealish, while at Villa Park who said: "[Stephen] was the closest I have been to out of all the Assistant Managers I have had.
"We go through all of my clips and discuss where I am going right or wrong. I am glad to have someone like Stephen taking the time out to help me and improve."
As a player, Clemence came through the youth ranks at Tottenham Hotspur and made his professional debut against Manchester United in the Premier League on August 10, 1997.
He scored his first goal in a Spurs shirt in an FA Cup tie at home to Fulham in January the following year.
He went on to make 108 appearances while at White Hart Lane, scoring three goals.
In January 2003 Birmingham City paid a reported £250,000 for his services and Clemence made 125 appearances for the club across a four-and-half year spell.
Four years later, in July 2007, Leicester City paid a million pounds for his signature but, due to injury, he was limited to making just 34 appearances, scoring three times.
He decided to retire due to a heel injury in Easter of 2010. He was released by Leicester at the end of that season and the midfielder then decided on a career in coaching.
Stephen featured for England U21 on one occasion as a player, coming as a substitute against Sweden in a 2-0 win in February 1998.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...
The club's new coach will be assisted by Robbie Stockdale who has extensive knowledge in the EFL having coached at Grimsby Town and Sunderland.
He also managed Rochdale while the team were in Sky Bet League 2 in the 2021-22 season.
As a player, he featured for Middlesbrough while in the Premier League before stints at Rotherham and Tranmere Rovers.