It’s been a rollercoaster couple of weeks for Southend United. Exactly one month ago the Shrimpers lost to Scunthorpe United in the first round of the National League playoffs.
Only for them to win the FA Trophy a few weeks later, triumphing over Wealdstone on penalties at Wembley. Which was shortly followed by the announcement of head coach Kevin Maher and his coaching staff leaving the club.
It’s a period of great change at Roots Hall and a possibly season defining change has just been made
It was announced today that Gus Scott-Morriss would be exiting Southend following the expiration of his contract. The wing-back signed from Hemel Hempstead in 2022, playing full time football for the first time in his career.
He took to it like a duck to water, providing Southend with four excellent seasons of service. He was named in the National League team of the season for the last three years in a row and became the first Southend player ever to be voted as the club’s player of the season three consecutive times.
Hardly surprising given that he scored 17 goals in each of the last two seasons from right wing-back. The 29-year-old will now ply his trade with Oldham Athletic in League Two.
It was only last year that the Latics beat Southend in the playoff final to return to the football league
As gutting as it is for Southend fans to see Scott-Morriss leave, he couldn’t have gone out on a much higher note, his last kick of the ball being the penalty to win Southend their first domestic trophy ever. But that isn’t all he will be remembered for.
From scoring the penalty to take Southend to the aforementioned playoff final to playing in goal when the club was only allowed one substitute, Gus Scott-Morriss leaves Roots Hall as a fan favourite and a modern-day Southend United icon.
