KEVIN Maher returns to Roots Hall tomorrow bracing himself for the strangest match of his career so far.

The midfielder spent 10 seasons with the Shrimpers before being released at the end of last season.

But this weekend he is back for the first time with his new side Oldham Athletic and his first major challenge will come before kick off when he must remember not to enter the home-team’s changing room.

“The weirdest part will be turning up at the ground and going into the away dressing room which is obviously something I’m not used to doing,” said Maher.

“I’ll have to make sure I don’t go in the wrong one and it’s going to be one of the weirdest games of my career.

“I won’t know exactly how weird until I actually get out there but it will be strange lining up against Southend that’s for sure.”

Maher joined Blues from Tottenham Hotspur in January 1998 and went on to play an impressive 454 games for the club.

That put him behind only Alan Moody and Sandy Anderson in the all time list of appearance makers and included among those matches were a number of memorable moments.

Maher skippered Southend to successive promotions in 2005 and 2006 to make sure of a place in the Championship and also led them out in both of their LDV Vans Trophy finals at the Millennium Stadium.

He was the captain too when they beat Manchester United and twice faced Tottenham Hotspur.

Subsequently, the Shrimpers remain close to his heart but Maher knows there is no room for sentiment on Saturday.

“In an ideal world we would both go up this year but nowadays my focus has to be Oldham so I hope we win tomorrow,” he said.

“It will be nice to see everyone again at Southend because I made a lot of good friends there down the years.

“It’s the first result I look for and this will be my chance to say goodbye because I couldn’t do that when I left.”

Maher hopes to receive a warm reception by the Blues fans and is also desperate to start the game.

He lost his place in the Latics side at the start of the season after picking up a slight injury but has been recalled for the last two matches.

“The team were doing so well when I got injured it was hard to get back in,” said Maher.

“That’s how it goes but hopefully now I’ve done enough to stay in and will play again this weekend.

“The teams are very closely matched so it’s going to be tight and I know that Southend never lose too many games at home so it’s going to be a real test for us.”