Gareth Ainsworth is back involved with Gillingham after several weeks away recovering from heart surgery. He is not yet ready to return to the dugout but has resumed overseeing training and preparations for League Two matches, having missed all four of the club’s league fixtures in October.
“It is great to be back here,” he told Sky Sports. He praised the club for its support during a testing period for him, his family and the team. Although not on the touchline, he has been delivering pre-match and half-time talks and making many decisions from the stands.
Ainsworth said he was involved in strategy and team selection ahead of matches but left day-of match duties to assistant Richard Dobson and the rest of the staff. Watching matches remotely can be difficult: “I was a minute behind on the streams and it is really tough trying to make a substitution from 80 miles away,” he added. He misses projecting energy from the touchline but expects that to return with time.
The issue was identified during a routine League Managers Association health check in September, when a heart murmur was found. The procedure to fix the problem went well; surgeons repaired his valve without replacing it with an artificial one. Ainsworth emphasised the importance of regular checks, saying the scans and treatment may have saved his life.
“The great thing is I am all fixed and have a great heart now,” he said, describing the operation as successful. He thanked the Spire in Southampton, the LMA and the club for their care. He said he still needs to let his heart heal, is occasionally breathless, and has been sleeping well during recovery.
Ainsworth reflected on perspective: football remains important to him but is “the most important of the unimportant things.” Health, family and friends come first. He said the outpouring of messages from managers and fans was refreshing and allowed time to reflect.
His return to the stands for Saturday’s win at Bristol Rovers — Gillingham’s first league victory in six — was emotional. Sat with the technical staff, he felt the atmosphere more than from home; fans spotted him in the gantry and sang his name, and some players acknowledged him during the match. He said that reaction and the players’ response made the occasion special.
On restrictions, his doctor has limited him from certain activities for now. He jokes about repeatedly asking when he can return to the gym, sing again, or get back on the touchline — all likely a few weeks away. Ainsworth also said his band, which took a back seat when he managed, has been further sidelined during his recovery, though he does not rule out future gigs.
For now, his focus is on the immediate football objective: keeping the momentum and getting back on the touchline as the next step.