Ronnie du Russell is a first-year defender.

Danny Heath: "Ronnie is a player that demonstrates a great tactical understanding to play anywhere in the back unit but also higher up the pitch as a wing-back. Ronnie is excellent at both regaining the ball and denying the opposition opportunities to score by being aggressive in a controlled manner to tackle and spoil the opposition's play. In possession Ronnie demonstrates excellent quality on his forward passes and dribbling to break the lines of the oppositions press. Ronnie is the vice captain for the under-18’s team for this season and he is also a part of the player leadership group of which he does and will continue to ensure that the team are maintaining high standards of professionalism both on and off the pitch.  

Ronnie: "I started off playing for my local team Hullbridge at under-5s and continued playing all the way up to under-12s including playing for Southend shadow squad between about under 7s and 9s. At under-12s I left Hullbridge and played for West Ham Foundation for two years before getting scouted by Colchester at under-14s and signing a one-year contract with them. I then got released and got signed by Southend at under-15s. I played for Concord Rangers at under-16s whilst being with the SUFC youth team on a Friday. I'm now back at Southend United full time. My most memorable Southend moment was when I played up for the youth team at under-15 against Great Wakering's first team and had one of my best games. The thing I enjoy most about playing for Southend is that I also support them, so it means a lot to me, and we have a quality team and great coaches."