Gills head coach Ady Pennock has confirmed that midfielder Josh Wright is leaving the club.

Wright is expected to complete the formalities of his Gills exit on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old played 85 league games for the Gills during his second spell for the club, having helped them to play-off glory in League 2 during a previous loan spell.

Last season he was named player-of-the-year after a remarkable campaign, scoring 14 goals from midfield. In the home game against Scunthorpe he netted a hat-trick of penalties in just nine minutes, a feat Gills fans are unlikely to see again.

An expected move away from Gills in the summer never materialised but after a public spat between the player and manager over the weekend, the two parties have agreed to go their separate ways.

“He is going to tear up his contract and we’ll move on,” said head coach Pennock.

“I would like to wish him all the best.”

Wright took to twitter on Saturday night after he was accused of refusing to sit on the bench in Gills’ League 1 game against Southend, insisting that wasn’t the case.

He was responding to a comment made by Pennock in the post-match press conference, saying that Wright was unhappy at being named as a substitute.

Pennock then took the decision to leave him out altogether, as the player’s ‘head wasn’t right’.

Wright will now be a free agent, after agreeing a severance deal with the Gills, meaning he can pick his next destination. Last season his form had led to speculation that he could be targeted by Championship teams, but nothing has materialised.

He has already been linked with a number of clubs, including Gills' League 1 rivals Southend United - who they beat on Tuesday night.

United boss Phil Brown, speaking to the Southend Echo, declared his interest in Wright. He said: "I’m very interested in Josh. Goalscoring midfielders are a rarity in any league."