NEW-BOY Frank Nouble is determined to add extra firepower to Southend United’s push for promotion.

The seventh placed Shrimpers host high-flying Bolton Wanderers at Roots Hall tomorrow.

And striker Nouble, who has signed a deal with Blues until the end of the season, is desperate to help Phil Brown’s side continue their surge up the League One standings.

“I’m very happy to be here, the team have been on fire and I want to help that continue by adding to the firepower we already have here,” said Nouble.

“There was a possibility of me coming here before I went to Gillingham in October and I think the manager probably kept an eye on how I was doing.

“When I became available again he asked me to come in and there were no doubts in my mind at all.

“I already knew six or seven of the players having had about 95 loan spells in my career and I know what the manager is like too so it was a no brainer.

“It’s a great squad with a great spirit and although nobody will talk about it we can definitely get promotion.

“We’ll take it game by game and I can’t wait for tomorrow’s one with Bolton.”

Nouble seems unlikely to start against the third placed Trotters as both Marc-Antoine Fortune and Simon Cox scored in the Shrimpers’ 2-1 win against Rochdale last weekend.

But the 25-year-old is keen to feature at some stage against a Bolton side he has already suffered a 4-0 defeat to this season.

“I played Bolton when I was with Gillingham and got beaten convincingly,” said Nouble.

“They’re obviously a good team but so are Rochdale and we beat them last week so there’s no reason why we can’t do it again.

“We just need to look at ourselves rather than anyone else and if we play well then I’m sure we can win.”

However, Nouble would not have teamed up with the Shrimpers had it not been for a change of management at Gillingham.

Previous boss and former Blues defender Justin Edinburgh had been keen to extend the striker’s spell in Kent.

But new manager Adrian Pennock allowed Nouble to leave at the beginning of January.

“It was frustrating how it ended with Gillingham,” said the striker.

“I was going to extend my time there before the manager got sacked and the new one wanted different things.

“I wasn’t worried about getting a club but it’s worked out well because Southend also works well location wise for me too.”

Nouble initially spent time training with the Shrimpers before making the move permanent.

And warm words from his former Ipswich Town team-mate Anthony Wordsworth also helped the striker secure his future.

“I know Woody from Ipswich and he spoke very highly about the club,” said Nouble.

“It didn’t take me very long to make up my mind and now I’ll be getting my head down to make sure I’m ready when called upon.”

Nouble’s arrival also boosts boss Phil Brown’s options in the final third of the pitch as Nile Ranger is currently suspended after a serious breach of club discipline.

“The players were coming at me saying Frank would be a direct replacement and that’s what it is,” added Brown.