CELTIC legend Henrik Larsson will move closer to a return to football today.
Southend chairman Ron Martin will fly to Sweden to meet the Hoops icon to to discuss the club’s vacant managerial position.
Larsson was in the stand to to watch the club lose 1-0 at home to Accrington in League One on Saturday.
The Swede is the frontrunner to replace Kevin Bond – who resigned on September 6 – with Gary Waddock currently in charge on an interim capacity.
Martin, speaking to Sky Sports News, said: “We know the qualities within the manager that we are looking for, but the combination of those characteristics or persons are not always available and it’s right we carry out, as we are, proper due diligence in arriving at the right choice.
“Henrik Larsson is obviously one of the individuals that we have been interviewing, but he is not the only candidate and no decision has been made as I write this statement.
“I am going to Stockholm in the morning, back in the afternoon, to meet potential ‘back room staff’ but that’s it, gathering information.
“There are five shortlisted candidates and Gary Waddock is certainly included.”
Larsson has been out of football since quitting as coach at Helsingborgs for the second time, citing personal abuse as the reason for walking away from the Swedish outfit.
