SOUTHEND United are looking to go on a good run between now and the end of the season.

And their former winger Damian Scannell will be soon doing likewise, quite literally.

Scannell – who made 60 appearances for the Shrimpers between 2008 and 2010 – has been good friends with James Walker since their time together at Roots Hall.

And Scannell will soon be running 50km – on the same day as a fundraising match for Walker - to help make money for Walker who now lives in a care home after suffering a cardiac arrest back in 2019.

“I was very good friends with James when I was at Southend and post that too,” said Scannell.

“When I found out what happened, I broke down and was devastated.

“I went to see him in hospital and it’s crazy.

“A Southend fan, Andy Leeder, reached out to me and has created a game for James.

“My community has raised £20,000 for underprivileged kids and now we’re going to run 50km on the day of the game.

“We will start at his first club which was Charlton and will raise money and awareness of the situation James is in.”

Scannell’s run and the match for Walker will take place on Sunday May 28 at Bowers & Pitsea’s Len Salmon Stadium.

The match will see a number of ex Shrimpers reunited.

And it will bring back good memories for Scannell who looks back on his time at Roots Hall with real fondness.

“Southend will always have a really warm place in my heart,” said Scannell.

“I know it might sound a bit crazy because I did go to Dagenham afterwards but it’s what I regard as my time as a professional footballer.

“Steve Tilson and Paul Brush were more than just a management team, they were really friendly and it was a brilliant experience.”

However, like many others, Scannell was often not paid on time with Blues and that ultimately led to his decision to depart in the summer of 2010.

“The only bad thing with Southend was that we didn’t get paid on time,” said Scannell.

“I got offered a new deal but we went 12 weeks without getting paid and I had an opportunity to go to Dagenham.

“It was actually less money but I went there.

“I was disappointed because when I find a home I like to stay but I felt very disrespected by the situation at Southend and we weren’t told the truth at times.”

With Southend relegated to League Two, a switch to Dagenham also meant Scannell stayed in the third tier of the English game.

And he went on to make 40 appearances for Daggers.

“Dagenham was a good time and a real family club,” said Scannell.

“John Still was the manager and we were in League One but we didn’t have the squad like Southend had.

“The style was different but they had a group of misfit players who should have been non-league but ended up in League One, myself included, and that was a good part of it.”

After leaving Dagenham in December 2011, Scannell headed back to Eastleigh before also lining up for Sutton United, Bromley and Dulwich Hamlet before retiring.

But he is now heavily involved in fitness and feels in better shape than he did when playing professional football.

“I’ve got a community online of dads and in person too,” said Scannell.

“I’ve got a lot of ex footballers I get into shape and I’m probably at least twice as fit now than I was when I played.

“At Southend I wasn’t known for my fitness.

“I was a tubby player who was fast but not in the greatest shape.

“As I was coming to the end of my career I did a PT course and fell in love with health and fitness and helping people.

“It was a natural progression and I’ve used all the skills I’ve learnt as a footballer.”

And that has also led to Scannell making an app to help non-league footballers.

“I’ve just built an app for non-league players which I think will help,” said Scannell.

“Transitioning from non-league to professional football is quite a common thing now but a lot of the ideas people have about that journey just aren’t realistic.

“The financial difference isn’t what people think, it’s not a Premier League wage.

“I just try and share that knowledge because as quickly as you get into the league you can go back out of it as well.”

Scannell is therefore still involved in football but he could struggle to keep tabs on the match between his two former teams at Roots Hall this weekend.

“We’re walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks this week and we’re aiming for under seven hours,” added Scannell.

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