SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown is looking forward to working with the club's new chief executive Tom Lawrence.

Lawrence will start in the role at the start of June to become Blues’ first chief executive since Steve Kavanagh left to join Millwall in June 2016.

And Brown has already met with the new recruit.

“Tom came into one of the staff meetings last week,” said Brown.

“He was invited in and came in and took notes.

“He starts at the beginning of June but he knows how I work and how I want the relationship to work too.

“The relationship with Steve Kavanagh was fantastic and if we can work in a similar vein to that I would be delighted.

“But at the same time I have a direct route to Ron (Martin) and I’ve also got Ricky Duncan who is director of football or whatever you want to call him.”