10:23am Thursday 29th October 2009
Exclusive By Chris Phillips
FREDDY Eastwood is desperate for Southend United to survive their current cash crisis.
For the popular former Shrimpers striker dreams of ending his career back with the Shrimpers.
Eastwood inspired the club to two successive promotions in 2005 and 2006, scoring 65 goals in 135 games.
And he is saddened to see them now struggling.
“I’m really do hope Southend can come through this because I want to come back at finish my career at the club one day,” said Eastwood, who is now with Championship club Coventry City.
“It’s a club that will always be close to my heart. My time there was just phenomenal and I loved it there.
“That’s why I would love to return and end my career the way Shaun Goater did, with a promotion at Southend.”
Eastwood joined Blues from Grays Athletic, originally on loan, in October 2004 and became an immediate hero with the fans after scoring a hat-trick on his debut against Swansea City.
He went on to net 24 times that season as the Shrimpers secured promotion from League Two, via the play-offs.
Eastwood then scored another 25 goals the following year as Blues won League One and 16 followed in the club’s one season in the Championship.
His most famous strike came when he netted the only goal of the game against Manchester United in the Carling Cup in November 2006.
But he was sold for £1.5million to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of that season.
The 26-year-old striker, who has also played internationally for Wales, has struggled since leaving with both Wolves and now Coventry.
Yet he remains grateful to the Shrimpers and their manager Steve Tilson for helping him make a name for himself.
“Southend really did help me and it’s because of them I got to go on and play at a high level,” said Eastwood who was brought up in Basildon.
“I’m surprised to hear things have got this bad because I thought they were doing well. They have a very good manager and Lee Barnard has been scoring lots of goals for them.
“I still always check to see how they have been getting on and I’ve been to games since I’ve left too, so I just really hope they can get through this and can somehow avoid entering administration.”
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