Ben Garner believes his time in charge of Bristol Rovers made him a "stronger person and a better manager" as he prepares to return to the Mem on Saturday with Swindon Town.
Garner was in charge of Rovers for almost 11 months before he lost his job in November, coincidentally after a defeat to now Gas boss Joey Barton and Fleetwood Town.
Rovers' season spiralled out of control from there and the Gas were relegated after finishing bottom of League One.
Fast-forward a few months and Garner is now in charge of West Country rivals Swindon, mustering an impressive start to the season considering the chaos which engulfed the County Ground over the summer.
With 13 points on the board after nine games, Swindon are three points clear of the Gas in the standings and Garner believes his experiences in BS7 have served him well in the long run.
"Obviously, it didn’t go as well as I would have liked or anyone would have liked, and there were different reasons for that." he said on Friday.
"As I said when I joined Swindon, I reflected on everything within my control. What I could analyse from my perspective, what I could learn, and anything that was outside my control, I didn’t waste any energy on it because you can’t influence that.
"For me, it made me a stronger person and a better manager, and I’m grateful for that experience."
Garner took charge of Swindon after a takeover by Clem Morfuni this summer, with the ex-Rovers boss inheriting little more than a handful of players with just a couple of weeks to go until the start of the campaign.
But, with the Swindon fanbase galvanised by the end of Lee Power's ownership, Garner and his players have harnessed the momentum to make a better start than expected, having been tipped for relegation at the start of the season.
At his pre-match press conference, the 41-year-old – who was in charge for 33 games at Rovers – was asked if he felt he was given enough time by Rovers.
"It was a big change to go from the style of play that was there and the way the team had been built and wanting to get to the complete opposite of that," Garner replied.
"There is no right or wrong in football. That was the remit, to change the style of play to a completely different way, to go younger, to lower the wages, to regenerate some transfer fees.
"We did a lot of those things and it takes time when you’re doing that much of a change.
"I have reflected on everything I did there and that has certainly stood me in better stead in this position.
"I think so much credit is due to people at this football club since we’ve come in and how we’ve become so competitive so quickly.
"I think it has been underestimated a little bit, because it’s very difficult to do in a short space of time and there has been an enormous amount of work across the football club to make us competitive from day one in the league."
Garner describe Rovers' start to the season under Barton, with the Gas in 18th place after nine games, as "up and down".
"They’ve got a big squad and a talented squad, so I’m sure they will be looking to improve on what they’ve done so far," he continued.
"We’re concentrating on us. We’re not looking outside these four walls and what we’re doing in house.
"Obviously, we analyse the opposition, we look at what they’re doing in terms of performances and where their squad is, but our focus is squarely on us and we’ve got no concerns about what other teams are doing and what they’re to do this season.
"It’s wasted energy for us and all of our focus will be on what we can control."
As for the reception he will receive from Gasheads tomorrow: "I have no idea," Garner replied. "I can’t control that. I did my absolute best for that football club when I was there.
"My focus will be on us, our team, our performance and doing the best for our supporters. We’re going there to win the game."
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