ONE of Southend United's most exciting ever players Ricky Otto made an incredible impact on the pitch during his playing career.

And the popular 47-year-old is now doing the same off it as well.

The skilful winger bagged 19 goals in 76 games during a successful 18 month spell with the Shrimpers.

But, prior to arriving at Roots Hall, Otto had served five prison sentences, the last of which came as a result of an armed robbery three years before he teamed up with Blues.

However, Otto now works tirelessly with offenders to stop them making the same mistakes as him before he was able to turn his life around.

“After my criminal past I always knew that I wanted to work with offenders and I'm really pleased to be doing that,” said Otto, who is now based in Birmingham.

“After finishing my career I worked as a probation officer to try and find out how best to utilise my own experiences and how to help them make the necessary changes to their life.

“However, after six years I started my own company called Living Xperience Connections where we develop bespoke empowerment programmes for offenders and those on the periphery of offending.

“The aim of our programmes is to help reduce reoffending and we do this by challenging their cognitive distortions, harmful beliefs and risky thoughts surrounding offending.

“This enables them to focus on the things we've changed in their lives with a view to help them to live law abiding lives and fulfill their potential.

“I've always felt as though offenders were able to relate to me because of where I was coming from and doing this kind of work has been a second dream come true for me.”

Otto, who is now also a minister, is clearly thriving in his latest role.

And admits he finds the work he is carrying out incredibly satisfying.

“It really is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable,” stressed Otto.

“I want to try and stop people making the mistakes I did and I want to help them fulfil their potential.

“After all I've been through I'm just glad to be alive and without football I would probably be dead now.”

Otto shone during his footballing career too and, after signing for the Shrimpers in July 1993, he immediately began to impress.

His speed and skill made him an instant fans favourite at Roots Hall.

And Otto believes he played his best ever football with Blues.

“I look back at my time with Southend with really fond memories and I think that was where I had my best form too,” said the winger.

“Barry Fry was the manager and he brought in 12 or 13 players and we hit it off straight away.

“He gave players a chance, especially ones who, for some unknown reason were classed as being difficult players to deal with.

“I never felt that was the case for any of us at Southend but Barry was always one who would buy people on their performances and wasn't concerned by any labels.

“That was great and together we were going to places like Derby, Millwall and Sunderland and we were beating them quite comfortably.

“It was a great time and I would like to think we really put Southend United on the map as a serious football club.”

Otto's goals had propelled the Shrimpers up to third in what is now the Championship.

However, Fry opted to take the Birmingham City job in December 1993.

And Otto believes Southend would have made the Premier League had that not have happened.

“We had real momentum and it was only going to get stronger if Barry had stayed with us,” said Otto.

“We were third in the table and teams were actually frightened of coming to Roots Hall.

“It wasn't a fluke we were up there because we had a great team and I really do think we would've got promotion had Barry not left.

“His decision to leave was definitely the most disappointing moment of my time at Southend.”

However, a year later, Otto also made the switch to Birmingham to be reunited with Fry.

But the exciting winger insists he never wanted to leave Roots Hall and would have stayed had chairman Vic Jobson agreed to offer him an improved contract.

“I've never really had the chance to explain why I left but the truth of the matter is I didn't want to leave,” said Otto.

“I was playing regularly and getting to take on the likes of Bryan Robson and Stuart Pearce which was great.

“I was doing well, I was top goalscorer and the highest scoring winger at that level.

“I had signed for £100,000 and was now worth anything up to £1million.

“I was running rings round players who were on five or six times more money than me so I went in to see the chairman to ask for a raise.

“I wasn't asking for a fortune, I just wanted a bit more so I could afford to buy a house.

“But he said no and that's pretty much why I left.

“It saddened me if I'm honest as well because I had a great relationship with the fans and I never really got the chance to say goodbye.”

Up until recently, Otto had also not been back to Southend.

But his younger brother Shaun now lives in the town and Otto has thoroughly enjoyed coming back to south east Essex.

“I've come down to see him and it was quite nostalgic and emotional if I'm honest,” said Otto.

“A lot of that was probably down to how I left but my brother tells me he gets a lot of love in the area because of our surname and that really does mean a lot to me.”