 He had a chance to further enhance those skills in the summer of 2017 when he worked alongside former QPR manager Chris Ramsey at the V9 Academy founded by England international Jamie Vardy.In June 2018, Gardiner linked up with QPR with the remit of nurturing the younger squad members while developing his own skills under the guidance of manager Steve McClaren and assistant Eustace who had moved from Harriers the previous month.As assistant coach he helped with the development of emerging players including Eberechi Eze, Darnell Furlong and Bright Osayi-Samuel.