Southend United: Phil Brown expects further Shrimpers departures

Phil Brown has guided Southend to 14th in League One this season

Southend United manager Phil Brown expects more senior players to follow Dan Bentley and Jack Payne out of the League One club this summer.

Brown said he was resigned to losing keeper Bentley, 22, and midfielder Jack Payne, 21, after the loss to Bradford.

And he has now revealed some Shrimpers players hope to move further north.

"Certain players are going to be turning away from the football club having had offers on the table. That's life," he told BBC Essex.

Jack Payne and Dan Bentley are both out of contract this summer but, as they are under 24, Southend will be due compensation

Both Bentley and Payne came through the Southend youth system and helped the club win promotion out of League Two last season.

Bentley was subject to interest from QPR last summer, while Payne is being linked with a number of Championship sides.

Brown said: "The influence agents have on players these days is really detrimental towards clubs who have invested time, effort, energy, money and expertise.

"I sympathise with a lot of clubs at this level, you're cannon fodder for the bigger boys. All we can do is do our best for the players and I think we have done.

"I think we've educated the players to be able to play at a higher level and consequently we're getting that used as a stick against us."