ADAM Thompson will be back at Roots Hall with Rotherham United this weekend - but if things had worked out differently he could well have been lining up for the Shrimpers.

Thompson made 120 appearances for Southend United before leaving in the summer of 2017.

But the defender came close to rejoining Blues in the summer.

"I was due to come in and sign and it was all very close to being done," said Thompson.

"I was due to meet up with the team when they were playing Weymouth in pre-season but I'm not really too sure what happened.

"The deal fell through which was gutting because Southend is honestly a club I'll always have in my heart and I would love to come back and play for the club again one day.

"But right now I'm enjoying being Rotherham and I'm happy to be here."

Thompson joined Blues, initially on loan from Watford in August 2013, before making the move permanently the following January.

However, the 27-year-old opted to join Bury at the end of the 2016/17 season and that led to Thompson receiving some stick on his previous return to Roots Hall.

"I came back before when I was on loan at Bradford and the reception was mixed but I can understand that because I chose to leave," said Thompson.

"It was a hard decision but it was a financial one in the end.

"With the money Bury were spending at the time I really thought they would be having a real go in League One but obviously it didn't turn out that way.

"However, I don't think you can ever have regrets."

Bury were relegated from League One before winning promotion last season.

However, the Shakers were expelled from the Football League at the start of the current campaign.

"It was heartbreaking," said Thompson.

"I still can't really believe what happened.

“We didn’t get paid from February onwards and the PFA were paying half our wages.

“It wasn’t really enough and for the lads with kids and mortgages it was extremely tough.

“We were having meetings every week and we spoke about making a stand, just like Macclesfield are now.

“But in the end we decided to play on and do it for our families.

“When I look back now, for us to keep winning and to get promotion with all that going on was unbelievable and it said a lot about that group of players.

“Lots of us are still in talks with the EFL about the wages we never received and the whole situation has been terrible because it affected so many people.”

Thompson, who still had a year left on his Bury contract, moved on to join Rotherham in the summer.

But a knee injury suffered earlier this season means he has yet to establish himself in the starting line-up.

“I was injured in my first week and ended up missing two months,” said Thompson.

“It was frustrating because I played every single game apart from one last season and to be fair the boys have been doing really well.

“We would’ve gone third if we had won last week so I’m having to wait for my chance.”