DUNCAN Jupp believes Southend United’s players will be in for the best day of their lives if they win the play-offs – and he should know.

The former Shrimpers right-back bagged his first goal in 10 years to help Southend win their only previous play-off final, 2-0 against Lincoln City at the Millennium Stadium in 2005.

And it is an afternoon Jupp still remembers with great fondness.

“If you win the play-offs, I think it’s probably the best day of your life and I’ll never forget that day we had in Cardiff," said the 40-year-old.

“I think we got our confidence back by beating Northampton in the semi-finals and then Steve Tilson and Paul Brush really played down the final and made sure we treated it as just another game.

“But winning it was just magical and it’s one of the best feelings I think I’ve ever had.”

Similar to this season, Blues missed out on automatic promotion on the final day of the campaign, after a 1-1 draw at Grimsby Town.

However, they were able to bounce back with Jupp becoming an unlikely goalscoring hero when he fired home a pass from Freddy Eastwood deep into extra-time after Eastwood had earlier fired them in front.

“It was certainly a shock I scored and it was a shock that Freddy actually passed it too,” laughed Jupp.

“I remember the ball coming to me and I thought about hitting it first time, but then I realised there were quite a lot Southend fans behind the goal and I didn’t want to kill any of them.

“I thought it would be better to take a touch, better scuffing a shot, but it went in.

“It had been so long for me without a goal, I didn’t really know what to do. I ran back to the half-way line thinking we had done it.

“The bus journey on the way home was special.”

The radio commentary from Jupp’s rare goal was played out loud at his wedding.

And he will be at Wembley tomorrow hoping to see another Shrimpers player become a star.

“It will be a special day for me as I’ll be taking my eight-year-old daughter Abigail to her first Southend game and I’ll be rooting for the team," said Jupp.

“There aren’t so many matches going on at this stage of the season, so the play-offs get a lot of focus and attention.

“But if it goes your way, then you’ll always be remembered and I very much hope that’s the case for the Southend players tomorrow."