It's actually happened; Neil Harris is a Shrimper
Subject to a medical and other formalities striker and life long supporter of the Shrimpers Neil Harris has signed for the club from Championship side Millwall.
A three-year contract may seem a long time for a 33-year-old but he's obviously accepted wages we can afford and who knows, maybe new board member Stewart Till, a former Lions chairman, has deeper pockets than we imagined.
Anyway, a partnership with 21-goal Barry Corr can only be a good thing, Ryan Hall must be getting very excited at the prospect, (let alone Luggy and the fans), and I can imagine Neil still banging them in at 36, hopefully in a higher division with us than now.
No, this Essex boy is a legend at the Den and is a serioius coup for Southend even as he approaches the veteran stage. He will have plenty to offer in the basement division, and as long as there are no serious injuries is a great bit of a business.
Even the official site says that; 'after Harris expressed his desire to sign for Southend, the side he can regularly be seen watching at Roots Hall, Millwall reluctantly agree to the move.'
Speculation started last week when Echo journalist Chris Phillips, after earlier tweeting that he had interviewed Blues boss Paul Sturrock, followed that up with the line that the Shrimpers were 'in talks with Championship striker.'
S24 had already been told that Millwall striker Neil Harris, who still lives locally, had been seen at Roots Hall and he was obviously showing the board more than his holiday snaps.
Neil did extend his contract on January 28th until 2012, but at his present age is obviously looking for regular first team football, having made 20 appearances in the campaign just finished of which half of these were coming on as a substitute, scoring 3 goals for the Lions who finished sixth in the second tier, only eight points off a play-off place.
Overall, Harris has made 432 appearances at the South London club, over two spells over 14 years, scoring, wait for it, 138 times in all competitions.
Not bad!
A good bit of business for the Blues?:
The Harris Saga
Harris as a Lion: www.millwallfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10367~2373902,00.html
A great story about Neil here:
The rumours start:
shrimpers_to_reveal_interest_in_
championship_striker_679946/index.shtml
Luggy warned us to be patient:
sturrock_waits_as_shrimpers_transfer_targets_
go_on_summer_holiday_679115/index.shtml
S24 get in there: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
Whoops, wrong lads: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk
The Harris Files
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil Harris | ||
| Date of birth | 12 July 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Orsett, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Millwall | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–1998 | Cambridge City | 64 | (43) |
| 1998–2004 | Millwall | 233 | (93) |
| 2004 | → Cardiff City (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2004–2007 | Nottingham Forest | 33 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | → Gillingham (loan) | 36 | (6) |
| 2007– | Millwall | 147 | (32) |
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 May 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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(Player info supplied by Wikipedia, for the full article go here: