Southend have announced Sol Campbell as their new manager, with Ipswich Town icon Hermann Hreidarsson as his assistant, ahead of their clash with the Blues on Saturday,

Ipswich Star: Ipswich Town hero Hermann Hreidarsson has been named assistant manager to Sol Campbell at Southend United. Photo: Steve WallerIpswich Town hero Hermann Hreidarsson has been named assistant manager to Sol Campbell at Southend United. Photo: Steve Waller (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

The scale of the job ahead of the duo was demonstrated last night, as the struggling Shrimpers were tonked 7-1 at home by Doncaster.

Their first game in charge will be against table-topping Ipswich this weekend.

Former England centre-back Campbell, who left his role as Macclesfield boss in the summer, has signed a deal until the end of the 2021/22 season at Roots Hall.

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Southend are second from bottom of League One with just one win from 15 games but Campbell, who was once interviewed by Ipswich owner Marcus Evans as the club searched for a new boss following Mick McCarthy's exit, is used to producing against the odds - he kept Macclesfield in League Two having taken over last November with the side seven points from safety.

He perhaps faces an even tougher challenge at the Shrimpers - they are already eight points from safety, with only crisis-club Bolton keeping them off the foot of the table, and have taken just one point from their last five games.

As well as assistant Hreidarsson, Campbell's backroom team will include former Manchester United striker Andy Cole as his forward and attack coach.

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His new club said in a statement that Campbell was "determined to push on and make his mark at Southend United with the help of his backroom staff."

The club have been searching for a new permanent manager since the resignation of Kevin Bond in early September.

Ipswich Town have sold out of tickets for this Saturday's trip to the Essex coast twice, with almost 2,500 fans set to roar on the Blues in Southend,