NATHAN Ralph is again bidding to bounce back with Southend United this weekend.

The Shrimpers skipper has been hit by relegations, serious injuries and a whole host of off-field issues since signing for the club back in 2019.

But the defender remains determined to play a part in what he feels can be a bright future for Blues.

“It can be difficult but you play football for a living and it’s what I always wanted to do,” said Ralph.

“The bigger bigger picture is you’re lucky to be doing that and I try and see it from that point of view.

“I also see the vision of this club.

“I see where it’s going and I want to be part of it.

“I’m optimistic for the future and look forward to it too.”

Right now however, the Shrimpers still sit at the foot of the National League standings after being a handed a 10 point penalty for failing to pay off their debt to HMRC.

But Ralph is only focusing on this weekend’s clash with Kidderminster Harriers at Roots Hall.

“We’ll do our analysis on them but we know what we need to do at home and we’ll focus on that,” said the 30-year-old.

“It’s a game we want to get a result from.”

Blues will be looking to get back to winning ways after Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Bromley.

And Ralph remains frustrated by the setback.

“It was frustrating game and we didn’t do enough in the first half,” said Ralph.

“We’ve gone through it now and we want to put it right on Saturday.

“On the whole our performances have been good at home this season and we want to keep that going as well.

“The fans are a big part of that too and I’m sure they will be right behind us again on Saturday.”

Blues will again be going into the game with 15 players available.

But Ralph will not allow the size of the squad to become an excuse.

“We don’t really think about it,” said Ralph.

“At the end of the day it’s 11 against 11 on the pitch and we simplify it as much as possible.

“We try not to think about the outside stuff but you understand it does take its toll.

“But with the group we’ve got it’s brought us closer together and we’ll focus on the positives.”