Stimson's side were relegated to League Two in his first season

Gillingham manager Mark Stimson believes he has assembled a squad capable of winning promotion back to League One at the first attempt.

Stimson marked a year at the club with a 1-0 win at Macclesfield, to leave the Gills four points off top spot.

He told BBC Radio Kent: "I've got a nice group of hungry players now who are not all here for money - they're here to win football matches.

"They want to get the club back to where we want to be."

He added: "The league's really, really close and we've got to make sure we just keep picking up points.

"Come the turn of the year, if we're really in there then I may be able to knock at the chairman's door and say: 'Look, we've done really well with this squad but we may just need one of two more to give us that final push.'"

Next up for Gillingham is an FA Cup first-round tie at Bury but Stimson says, much as he would enjoy a good cup run, his priority is to secure promotion out of League Two.

"Maybe the chairman would disagree, if you're going to beat a couple of big teams on the way to the quarter-finals and get some big money in.

"But, for me, it's about trying to get the club back where it belongs."

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