Gareth Ainsworth has returned to Gillingham after several weeks away for heart surgery. He is not yet ready to be back on the touchline, but he has resumed overseeing training and preparing the side for League Two matches after missing all four of the club’s league fixtures in October.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Ainsworth thanked the club for its support during a difficult spell for him, his family and the squad. Although he is not on the bench, he has been delivering pre-match and half-time talks and making many decisions from the stands, staying heavily involved in matchday planning.
He remains part of the strategy and team selection process, but has delegated day-of match duties to assistant Richard Dobson and the rest of the staff. Watching games remotely, he admitted, is far from ideal — being slightly delayed on streams made trying to call a substitution from miles away particularly hard — and he misses being able to project energy from the touchline, something he expects to recover in time.
The problem was discovered during a routine League Managers Association health check in September when staff found a heart murmur. Surgeons repaired his valve without needing to replace it with an artificial one, and Ainsworth described the operation as successful, saying the scans and treatment may have saved his life. He expressed gratitude to the Spire Hospital in Southampton, the LMA and the club for their care.
He is still in recovery, occasionally breathless and restricted from certain activities on medical advice, but sleeping well as he heals. The experience has shifted his perspective: football remains hugely important to him, but behind health, family and friends.
Ainsworth’s return to the stands for Saturday’s win at Bristol Rovers — Gillingham’s first league victory in six — was an emotional moment. Sat with the technical staff, he felt the atmosphere more intensely than watching at home as fans spotted him, sang his name and players acknowledged him, making the occasion special.
Doctors have limited some activities for a few more weeks, and his band remains on hold, but his immediate focus is clear: help the team maintain momentum and take the next step back onto the touchline when he’s ready.