From Port Vale to Shrimpers for Prosser

Luke Prosser: 'Great to get 90 minutes under my belt before going back to Port Vale'

Shrimpers centre-back Luke Prosser has been in and out of the side all season due to injury and poor form, and has even been sent on loan to Blue Square Conference side Rushden & Diamonds.

Many believe he will not return next term, but at least with the depleted Southend squad that Blues boss Paul Sturrock has at his disposal Luke is getting chances to prove that the fifth tier is not his natural level now his calf strain has cleared up which kept him out for three weeks.

However, the Enfield born defender willl return to Vale Park this weekend after spending five years there hoping to have a better game than the last time the two teams met back in August.

This produced a 3-1 win for the Valiants and saw Luke substituted at half-time after a performance that S24 readers felt we were being generous in marking him a four!

Prosser told www.echo-news.co.uk: "I think when we played against them before I just put too much pressure on myself. I was so keen to do well but I came off at half-time and I think that says it all really. I spoke with Graham Coughlan about it and, although I do want to prove people wrong at Port Vale and play well, I also know I need to be more relaxed if I'm selected to play."

Oh I think there's a good chance of that at the moment Luke.

And he has only good words to say about his old team-mates though. hoping he

Prosser told www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk: "Whenever you get turned over you want to do the same to the opposition in the next game - and tomorrow will be no different. A lot of new players were thrown together at the start of the season, so it took us time to settle down and show our potential. I think our play-off chances have slipped away in recent weeks, despite being on the fringes of the top seven not so long ago. But after Saturday I'll be wishing the Vale boys all the best and I hope they get promoted. I think they've got a great chance."

Back to the player himself, there have been signs before the last injury that there's a decent centre-half waiting to get out, and what a better time to show us all he's got what it takes to get the nod for another year at Roots Hall at least.

Keeping clear of any more spells on the sidelines would help.

Prosser continued: "I had just got back in the side so it was devastating to get an injury and have to miss matches. I did it five minutes in to the game at Crewe and it was actually Chris Barker who did it by falling on to me. I thought it was just a dead calf but the scan the next day showed a grade one tear and I was so disappointed because I wanted to get a run of matches under my belt. It was good to come back against Accrington even though I hadn't trained too much. But it was great to get 90 minutes under my belt before going back to Port Vale and hopefully I can get the nod again."

The Prosser Files