Gillingham’s interim manager Keith Millen believes whoever takes over on a permanent basis will inherit a squad capable of challenging for promotion.

Neil Harris surprisingly got the sack last week despite being four points off top spot in League 2. A win for the Gills over MK Dons last Saturday, with Millen at the helm, took them up to third in the table.

More: Gills chairman on Harris’ sacking

Millen has already stated he doesn’t want the job full-time, having been asked by director of football Kenny Jacket to fill in while the club look for Harris’ successor, but there won’t be a shortage of people who see the Gills as a golden ticket for success.

“There is a squad there that if we can get them fit, should be challenging,” said Millen, with a nod to the sizeable list of injuries to key men.

“At the moment I think there are more injured than fit!

“There are a lot of young players playing regularly, and we have good, experienced pros there that set the standards.

“If you are going to be successful in the season you are not going to get promoted with 12-14 players, no chance. We have to try and get as many people fit and have that competition.

“I didn’t start Macca (Bonne, on Saturday), maybe for tactical reasons, but he went on and he was excellent. He really worked hard and was a real threat. That is what you want all over the pitch but at the moment we haven’t got that (because of injuries), but that gives an opportunity for the younger boys.”

The Gills head to Walsall this Saturday as the club’s hierarchy concentrates on replacing Harris.

Millen came into the Gills as head of academy coaching but is happy to continue working with the first team for as long as it takes, saying: “In my head, like I said from the start, I am in charge until told differently. I can’t do this job any other way.”

With managerial roles at Crystal Palace, Bristol City and Carlisle in the past, he enjoyed being the main man again on Saturday, with help from youth boss Mark Moss.

He said: “It was a familiar feeling at about 8am, when you got the feeling in the pit of your stomach, that nervous feeling, which I quite enjoy.

“It was good, I have done it enough times to know what to expect, nothing new to me, but when you haven’t been in the hot seat for a while you do forget a bit, but it does come back, certainly the last 10 minutes (on Saturday against MK Dons) when I was trying to stay calm. It’s not easy!”

Millen’s first game in charge saw the Gills beat MK Dons 2-1, enjoying good spells, but hanging on at the end.

“We had a spell where we were really good,” he said. “We need to have those spells for longer.

“Certainly, there was a 15-minute spell when we scored and we opened them up, because we passed through them.

“The secret is working out what the opposition are doing, then trying to work out how we can punish them, whether you try and play through them, round them or over the top, there is not a right or wrong [way].

“The secret is to recognise that and hopefully, the players have got the confidence to do it and see it.

“It is weird afterwards to talk about confidence (to the players), but we are third, ‘come on lads, you are in the top three, you are not doing a lot wrong’. I was pleased for the players because it had been a tough week.”

Gillingham play at Maidstone United on Tuesday night in the Kent Senior Cup Second Round (7.45pm).