Former Gillingham boss Ronnie Jepson has followed Neil Warnock to Middlesbrough.

On Monday he was on the bench as part of the management team at Northampton as they won a place in the League 2 play-off final at Wembley. A day later Jepson was confirmed as being part of Warnock's new backroom team at the Riverside.

Boro are 21st in the Championship and sacked their manager Jonathan Woodgate after losing 3-0 at home to Swansea City on Saturday.

Warnock, 71, has been out of management since November 2019, leaving Cardiff City where Jepson had worked as a first team coach.

The former Gills boss joins the north-east side along with another of Warnock's trusted companions, Kevin Blackwell.

"I need my lieutenants," said Warnock, as he conducted his first official press conference.

"Everywhere we've been we've worked together."

Jepson has previously worked under Warnock at Crystal Palace, QPR and Leeds United before their time together at Cardiff.

Their task at the Riverside is to avoid relegation to League 1, a scrap that involves at least eight teams. Boro are only just outside the drop-zone in the Championship on goal difference, ahead of Hull City.

Jepson - who managed the Gills between 2005-2007 and had been assistant to Stan Ternent and Neale Cooper - had been at Northampton Town of late, joining them as a development coach under Keith Curle.

He joined the backroom team at Northampton in February, replacing David Kelly in the role.

The Cobblers dramatically beat Cheltenham Town on Monday to reach the League 2 play-off final, overturning a 2-0 deficit to reach the final, winning the second leg 3-0. They meet Exeter City on Monday, June 29 for a place in League 1 alongside automatically promoted Swindon, Crewe and Plymouth.

In January 2019 the former Burnley and Huddersfield player was in the away dugout at Priestfield when the Gills played Cardiff City in the FA Cup, a game the hosts won 1-0.

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