SOUTHEND United defender John White has set his sights on helping to rebuild the Shrimpers after committing his future to the club.

The experienced centre-back has signed a year long deal to remain at Roots Hall.

And White is determined to get Blues back on track after back to back relegations saw them slip into the National League for the first time.

“I’m really pleased that my future has been sorted so quickly and it now allows me to concentrate on being ready for that first day of pre-season,” said White.

“Like I said at the end of the season, it would have been very difficult to leave things as they were after the way it ended.

“It’s nice I will have that opportunity to turn things around with the group of players that we will have and the staff that we’ve got.

“We can look to build something really strong which will push us in the right direction, turn the fortunes of the club back around and start building to get back to where we should be.”

White has been with Blues on a permanent basis since 2013 when he was signed by Phil Brown who has now returned for a second spell at Roots Hall.

And White is enjoying being reunited with the former Hull City chief.

“It’s a strange one in that it’s an old feeling that I had when the manager was here previously,” said the 34-year-old.

“You can really feel that he’s building a group that want to go and be successful, doing things the right way and that’s been shown to me with how quickly we’ve got this deal sorted.

“It’s shown me that we are looking to do things the right way, get business done early and look to move in the right direction.

“I know how he works, I know what he likes and doesn’t like and it allows me to be the best version of myself and give back to the team and the staff as well.”

As revealed by Echosport, White’s contract includes the offer of a testimonial.

And the defender is pleased to have been rewarded for his loyalty.

“It’s a huge honour to be able to get that and it’s not something that I ever pictured in my head that I would get,” said White.

“It’s a huge honour to have been here long enough and I’m thankful that I’ve got this opportunity to play for the club this season with that at the end of it.”

And boss Brown is also thrilled White is staying with the Shrimpers.

“It’s fantastic news,” said Brown.

“He’s not one that shirks responsibility. I’ve offered him a deal which is a win-win situation going into his testimonial year.

“A guy that gives such a long service for one club is a rarity now, it’s not the norm.

“I hope the supporters support him in the various events that we’ll have scattered throughout the year. John’s been captain of the club and he knows what it’s about to wear the shirt and wear it with pride..”