Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth is to undergo heart surgery and will be away from the club for "a few weeks". Long-term assistant Richard Dobson will take over while 52-year-old Ainsworth recovers from the "routine" operation. Ainsworth said the problem was identified by a routine League Managers' Association (LMA) health check at the end of last season. 10 May 1973
"I went for the LMA health check in May and they found something with my heart. I've got to have heart surgery this week. It sounds dramatic, but it's a routine thing they do.This has all been planned. Get behind Dobbo and the team, they will be stepping up. I'll be off for a few weeks, and then I'll be back."
Chairman Brad Galinson added: "We've known for many weeks about Gareth's upcoming surgery. When we appointed the best manager in League Two back in March, we also felt we were getting the best assistant manager in the league, so we have no doubt the team is in safe hands in Gareth's absence."
"This has all been planned. Get behind Dobbo and the team, they will be stepping up. I'll be off for a few weeks, and then I'll be back."
| Senior career* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1992 | Northwich Victoria | 14 | (4) |
| 1992 | Preston North End | 5 | (0) |
| 1992–1993 | Cambridge United | 4 | (1) |
| 1992–1993 | → Northwich Victoria (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1993–1995 | Preston North End | 82 | (14) |
| 1995–1997 | Lincoln City | 83 | (37) |
| 1997–1998 | Port Vale | 55 | (10) |
| 1998–2003 | Wimbledon | 36 | (6) |
| 2002 | → Preston North End (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2002–2003 | → Walsall (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 2003 | Cardiff City | 9 | (0) |
| 2003–2010 | Queens Park Rangers | 141 | (21) |
| 2009–2010 | → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Wycombe Wanderers | 112 | (16) |
| 2014–2018 | Wycombe Wanderers | 0!!! | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Woodley United | 3 | (2) |
| Total | 561 | (113) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008 | QPR Caretaker | ||
| 2009 | QPR Caretaker | ||
| 2012–2023 | Wycombe Wanderers | ||
| 2023 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 2024–2025 | Shrewsbury Town | ||
| 2025– | Gillingham | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
During his playing days Ainsworth picked up the nickname "Wild Thing" due to his appearance and his rock star ambitions; he was in a band called APA with Wimbledon teammates Chris Perry and Trond Andersen. He later joined the band Dog Chewed the Handle, named after a Terrorvision song, after answering an advert in Loot. Before the audition, Ainsworth hid his footballing career from his bandmates until he had been accepted. The band were invited to support Bad Manners on tour but rejected the offer due to clashes with Ainsworth's footballing career. The band later split, with Ainsworth and another member forming a new band, Road to Eden. By November 2019, he was fronting The Cold Blooded Hearts. They released their debut album in July 2023, produced by Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes.
He is considered a cult hero at Preston, Wimbledon, QPR, Port Vale, Lincoln City, and Wycombe Wanderers.
On 21 October 2010, he represented the English Football League at the unveiling of the Footballers' Battalion memorial on the site of the Battle of the Somme. He graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Diploma in "Professional Studies in Football Management" in December 2019.
Ainsworth is married to Donna, who is from Venezuela. He has three children. He is a practising Catholic.
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