STAN Collymore was forced to hold back the tears on his return to Roots Hall.

The legendary ex Southend United striker was back at his old stomping ground late last week.

And Collymore found it an incredibly emotional experience.

“The club put the floodlights on me, I got to go out on to the pitch and I would say it was the closest I’d come to crying in 10 or 15 years,” said Collymore.

“It was the first time I had been out on the pitch in 25 years and it was really emotional.

“All of these memories came flooding back to me and it reminded me of a very special time in my career.

“I had some very special moments in my career but for me what I had at Southend is what football is all about and Southend United is exactly why I always wanted to play football.”

After visiting Roots Hall, Collymore held a question and answer session with Blues’ fans at the Arlington Ballrooms.

And he thoroughly enjoyed looking back at a number of memorable moments with the Shrimpers.

“It was nice because genuinely the happiest time of my life was when I was with Southend,” said Collymore.

“My personal life was great and my mum would come and watch the games.

“My mate Paul who is a big Wolves fan came to every game of mine for two years and he also said Southend was his favourite time.

“Villa is my club but I had a horrific time there in the middle of a very public meltdown and my time at Liverpool was mixed.

“You climb to the top of the ladder and you’re playing for the most successful club at the time expecting to see goals, richness and happiness but it wasn’t there.

“I even had Alison Moyet saying lovely things about me here and she wrote me a beautiful letter before my England debut and things like that are what I mean.

“You get the profile playing for Liverpool but Southend was very special to me and still is.”

Collymore scored 18 goals in 33 games for Blues and admitted the first of those - on his debut against Notts County - was one of the most important of his career.

“I remember being terrified and wondering if I could really do this,” said Collymore.

“Everything changed after that first goal but who knows what might have happened if I didn’t score in the first few games. It would have been very different.”