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Bulls trialist Chris Barker is back playing with Southend despite having been told he can leave the club.
The 33 year old triggered a contract extension based on appearances last term but manager Phil Brown confirmed he had been told he was free to go, telling the Southend Echo last week: “I’ve had a conversation with Chris and explained how we’re moving in a different direction now and that it may be best for him to move on. He’s been hanging on to the other players’ coat-tails during pre-season and that’s testament to how hard he works.
“He’s a great lad but we’ll see how he gets on with Hereford and take things from there. If he’s still with us by the time we get back from Madrid then he could still have a future with us. But we’ll know more about that situation in the next 48 hours.”
Barker returned to the Shrimpers shortly after that interview and was fielded in last night's match against West Ham, playing the full 90 minutes, with Brown's squad down to barebones due to injuries and a transfer embargo.
Any return for Barker to Edgar Street is likely to hinge on how much of his current wages the Shrimpers are prepared to pay up to allow a move into the Bulls' much stricter wage structure.
