PHIL Brown will be today be named as Southend United's new manager.

The 53-year-old former Hull City boss will replace Paul Sturrock in the Roots Hall hot-seat.

And he will take charge of the team for the first time at Bradford City on Friday.

Brown led Hull in to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2008 and helped keep them up during their first season at that level.

Brown, who had previously taken charge of Derby County and Bolton Wanderers, was placed on gardening leave by the Tigers in March 2010.

The South Shields born Brown returned to the game with Preston North End in January 2011 but he left the club the following December.

Since then he has worked as a media pundit before taking the job at Roots Hall.

His appointment is expected to be confirmed in a Southend United club statement this morning.