SOUTHEND United chairman Ron Martin insists he is keen to appoint a new chief executive – but only when the permission has been granted for the new stadium.

Blues have been without a chief executive since Steve Kavanagh left to join Millwall in late 2016.

But Martin would now like that to change.

“I would like a CEO but I don’t want one until we’ve got planning consent,” said Martin.

“I want us to give that person a future to hang on to.

“When the person comes in I want them to have a future too.

“The curtailing of last season meant it wasn’t the right moment.

“This year has been an uphill struggle on the pitch and as a consequence the person I had been speaking to for a long time would not want to be the CEO of a National League club.

“I would like a CEO.

“It would be helpful for the club and we will employ a CEO, although maybe not the person I’m talking to at the moment, in the National League in any event.

“But he’s got to be ambitious and he’s got to want the board want and what I want too. “