Gillingham manager Steve Evans has become the favourite to take over at Stevenage after it was reported Boro had approached the Gills for permission to talk to him.

Former boss Alex Revell was sacked on Sunday after a 2-1 defeat at home to Mansfield Town and started a frantic search from chairman Phil Wallace for a new number one.

Evans has been at Priestfield since the summer of 2019 having previously been the boss of Peterborough United, Leeds United and Rotherham among others, the latter ironically at the same time Revell was there.

He responded to the approach after Gillingham's FA Cup replay defeat to Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night, the first time he learned of the news.

Speaking in Kent Online he said: "I have just been made aware of it by our media department and that is something that the chairman and the club have to speak about, not for me, I will speak to the chairman about it as you would expect.

"I don’t know how accurate that is. I am a football manager, I want to win games, I want to have a chance. I don’t know if there has been an approach.

"I know Stevenage as a club, I know the personnel, but that is for Paul Scally [the Gills chairman] and Gillingham Football Club to speak of and obviously they need to give clarity on if because I am not sure that is right or wrong."

The Comet: Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace wants the next manager to have experience.Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace wants the next manager to have experience. (Image: ©2018 Danny Loo Photography - all rights reserved)

Speaking in his programme notes ahead of their own FA Cup replay against MK Dons, Boro chairman Phil Wallace had said experience was high on his list of desirable skills.

He said: "Sadly, we parted company with Alex Revell and Dean Wilkins on Sunday. I say sadly because we have all worked towards a vision of how we wanted our club to be, but it has not worked out for us.

"Rarely do you meet a person like Revs, and it was a pleasure and privilege to work with him.

"We all know football is a savage business and we all know how it works, but that does not make it any easier when people lose their jobs, especially when it is not from a lack of effort or dedication.

"The next step is crucial for us and we need experience in the management team we employ next.

"We have the squad that Revs and Dean wanted, a technically-gifted squad but with perhaps some aspects missing, otherwise past results would have been better.

"The dressing room is solid and packed full of good characters and great professionals, something for a new gaffer to build upon."