Gillingham are looking for a new youth team manager after Joe Dunne’s decision to move on.
Dunne has been in the job since November 2024 but says he has an opportunity elsewhere.
Gillingham are advertising Dunne’s position, which combines being the under-18 manager and professional development phase coach.
Dunne, speaking to the club, said the Gills job would be a “great challenge for anybody” but has decided take up a new role himself.
He said: “A new opportunity has presented itself. It’s another opportunity for me to learn about younger players at a different level and how to understand how they work, and how they play.
“It’s very tough, having been here for over a year at a place I have complete admiration for and I have seen how hard people work here.
“I have seen how honest people are here; I have seen ownership at a very high level who want so much for the club – I see that from the inside.”
He added that the successful applicant – who must be a UEFA A licence level coach – will be “inheriting an academy where the principles of hard work, honesty and understanding the badge you play for is very important.”
He praised academy manager Bryan Bill for his “understanding of what it takes for players to make the first-team” and Mark Patterson, the club’s head of coaching, who he said “is again experienced and understands how to help the coaches.”
The Gills under-18s play in the Youth Alliance League South where they currently sit ninth in the table.
Dunne said: “I have become very attached to the players. I am an emotional coach and I have made some fantastic connections with the group.
“They are great lads. I have tried to bring understanding of what the club means, what the divisions means and the work ethic and principles that are needed.
“A new coach has a great opportunity now to test themselves and work with a great team of people at youth and first-team level.
“The relationship with the Kent clubs is excellent and the recruitment department have close contacts and are able to give young players an opportunity to go out on loan at a younger age which has been fantastic.”
The Gills are accepting applications for the position up until Friday, January 16.
They describe the role as providing “a platform and pathway to manage the transition of young players between youth football and the professional game to maximise the players’ potential development and opportunities of attaining first team football.”
Forging a good relationship with the first team coaches is important. This season youth players Cruz Beszant and Louie Dayal have been involved in EFL matches, while Stan Sargent has featured in EFL Trophy games.
