Wilson had expressed doubts over his future with Southend United after rejecting a new one-year deal to stay with the Shrimpers. The left-back, who played 49 times in a successful second season with the Seasiders, wanted the security of a 24-month contract, having been released by Bristol Rovers when the club captain at the Memorial Ground after the financial fiasco at ITV Digital undermined the football world.
However, after continuing discussions between Blues supremo Ron Martin and Wilson’s agent, the former Cambridge City defender is set to put pen to paper when he returns from his holiday in Portugal. “I would like to say last season was absolutely fantastic,” Wilson told the club’s official website, www.southendunited.co.uk. “I am happy at Southend.”
Unlike Lawrie Dudfield and Jay Smith, there was never a question of the 26-year-old entering discussions with any other clubs, and he continued, “We had a meeting on Saturday and there were a couple of minor things that my agent was not happy about in the contract, but these will or have been amended.” Encouragingly, the Ely-born left-back concluded, “There is no doubt I will be signing. Everything has been agreed and both the club and I are happy.”
Meanwhile, the Southend Evening Echo has revealed that centre-back Barrett is set to commit himself beyond the end of his contract in the summer of 2006. United are in talks with the talismanic defender, and there seems little doubt that he will be offered at least a twelve-month extension to his current contract, with the man himself declaring, “I definitely want to stay here for longer, there’s no question about that. I love it at Southend. Everyone knows what the club means to me and I want to play a part in getting this club back into the Championship.”
Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com