SOUTHEND United boss Phil Brown is keen to add former Manchester City manager Brian Horton to his coaching staff.

Horton, who worked with Brown at both Hull City and Preston North End, watched the Shrimpers beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Roots Hall on Tuesday night.

And Brown now wants to bring him to Blues on a permanent basis, although a role for the 66-year-old has yet to be decided.

“I’m interested in taking Brian back,” said the Shrimpers chief.

“I’ve worked him with at two football clubs in the past and I had a great partnership with him at Hull City.

“We were up against it a bit at Preston North End but I’ve been talking to him, I’ve shown him around the place and he wanted to come and watch us play so he was at the Charlton game.

“He wanted to see what the side was like and if he could be of benefit to us.

“We’ve gone through all that but he’s still under contract with Doncaster Rovers until August 1 so there’s nothing we can do with him until after the Leyton Orient game this weekend.”

Brown’s interest in being reunited with Horton came following the departure of last season’s assistant manager Dave Penney.

But, despite the interest in the former Macclesfield Town manager, Brown confirmed Graham Coughlan would still be his new right hand man.

“Graham will be staying as assistant manager,” said Brown.

“If Brian does decide to join us it will be more of an advisory role than anything else.

“We’ve discussed him being director of football here but that’s not something the chairman is interested in doing.

“We would have to discuss the role a bit further and there’s certainly a bit of talking to be done just yet.”