Gardner: We're playing for our futures and out to impress new boss

The winger also insists it’s down to the players to get the club out of their relegation battle.

“There’s only us can change it,” he said ahead of the game against Coventry City, another side sitting in the League One relegation zone.

“There’s players in the team, most of the players in the team could be up the other end of the season.

“We could be in the top end of the table but obviously we’re not, so we’ve got to stick together.”

If Chesterfield haven’t appointed a new manager by the time the Spireites kick off against the Sky Blues, Ritchie Humphreys will still be in charge of first team affairs.

But any potential appointee could well be sat in the Proact stands looking on.

Gardner knows it’s important to make a good impression, but not just on Saturday.

“Obviously there are a lot of us out of contract and we’re playing for our futures,” he said.

“So we’ve got to show people what we can do by staying up, putting on good performances, winning games and hopefully we’ll do that.”

If Humphreys is the man leading the team come 3pm today, Gardner appears quite content at the prospect.

“Ritchie has been good, he’s brought a bit of fun into it.

“He’s got us more together.

“He’s a top guy but obviously we need to respect him and he’s our manager at the minute.

“He’s a class man and a class proffesional.”