Gareth Ainsworth completes shock move and leaves Shrewsbury Town

Despite Shrewsbury’s best efforts to convince the 51-year-old to stay, the former Wycombe boss will leave Shropshire and take charge of the Gills - who are 19th in League Two. 

The Shropshire Star understands the club were desperate to keep Ainsworth, but Gillingham have met a release clause in his contract allowing him to depart. 

It is also understood that as part of the negotiations, Shrewsbury tried to get Ainsworth to stay until the end of the current campaign - with a League One match against Birmingham City this weekend and another eight matches remaining in the season. 

But Ainsworth declined, and he and his number two Richard Dobson, are set to leave Shrewsbury immediately. 

Town had opened contract talks with Ainsworth just a few weeks ago, with Salop offering him a new two-year deal in Shropshire, and now he has opted to leave. 

As Salop's head coach, Ainsworth had 22 games in charge of the club - winning five matches and drawing five. 

After an initial upturn in results which saw the former QPR man get Shrews within touching distance of getting his side out of the bottom four, Town’s form then faded. 

They have lost six out of their last eight League One clashes, and they have only scored one goal in the last six matches. 

Ainsworth departs with Shrewsbury bottom of the third-tier table 14 points from safety.