Gillingham manager Mark Bonner knows success will be judged on the league table next season as owner Brad Galinson targets promotion

Gillingham’s ambition was key to Mark Bonner’s decision to take on a job where expectations are sky high.

Chairman Brad Galinson has made it clear he wants promotion next season and former Cambridge United boss Bonner is up for the challenge.

Bonner said: “Success is going to be judged on league tables, there is no question, the owner has made it very clear what he wants and what he expects and how he wants to see us develop over a short period of time.

“We will be one of many that start the season trying to get promoted into League 1, there is no point hiding it, partly that ambition is the pull here, the fact there is going to be a genuine investment to give us a chance and be competitive and in what I think will be an open league next year.

“We have to have personality and character to take on that tag and almost embrace that ambition and if we all want success we have to expect what comes with that.

“A season is a long one, everyone starts on zero points in August, it’s a long way to the final number to be ultimately successful. We are all determined to get to work on building a team that can be really, really competitive at the top end of the division. How things turn out we will see over time.

“We have to build a team that has a chance and that we can get some momentum, and if we can build something quickly and add, then it can be an exciting time, but there is a heck of a lot of work to do to get to that point.”

Bonner is only 38 but has already enjoyed promotion from League 2, at Cambridge United, and he was drawn by the ambition of Gillingham and the experienced heads around the place.

He’ll be working with head of recruitment Andy Hessethaler and director of football Kenny Jackett this summer to build a team