JOINT-manager Matt Gardiner looks set to end his tenure at Worcester City after being approached to become the head of coaching at Kidderminster Harriers.

The Vanarama National League North outfit have given their Worcestershire rivals permission to talk to Gardiner who has been placed on temporary leave until the end of the season.

The move comes after John Eustace was appointed as the new manager of the Aggborough side who have been recently relegated from the Vanarama National League.

Harriers’ chairman Rod Brown said he was delighted to get the former Watford and Derby County midfielder on an initial one-year contract and said they were now keen to add Gardiner to the coaching staff.

“We always knew that John wouldn’t be able to do this job alone and that experience within the management team of the level we’d be playing at was crucial,” Brown said.

“We’re currently in discussions with Matt about fulfilling the role as there’s little doubt that he’d be a huge asset to us.

“We’re grateful to Worcester for giving us permission to speak with Matt and are hopeful of being able to come to an agreement with him soon.”

Gardiner joined City as assistant manager in July 2012 before being promoted to joint-manager alongside Carl Heeley at the start of the season.

Heeley will now take sole charge once again and will be assisted by current first team coach John Snape until the end of the campaign.

A spokesman from the club said: “We have granted Kidderminster that permission as we feel it is only right we give Matt the opportunity to see if it something that he would be interested in and fits with his future ambitions.”

With City just five points clear of the relegation area with two games left, the spokesman added: “In the meantime we have a vitally important game away at AFC Telford tomorrow (3pm) so with that in mind Matt has been placed on temporary leave to allow us to fully focus on the task in hand without any distractions.”

Heeley said Kidderminster “have done things in the right way” and admitted they were “not in a position” to stop Gardiner from holding talks with the Aggborough side.

He added: “The sole focus has to be Worcester City and an important last couple of games of the season.

“I will resume sole charge as manager as I have been previously and I will be assisted by Snaps (John Snape) and we will get the season done and dusted.

“After that we will reassess and we will see where it goes.”