DAN Mooney will be seeking happier memories of Southend United on Tuesday night.

The attacking midfielder will be back at Roots Hall with Altrincham for tomorrow's National League encounter.

And it will be Mooney’s first Roots Hall return since opting to move on from the Shrimpers in mid-December.

“It was a very difficult period,” said Mooney.

“Maybe things might have turned out differently at a different time but the way it was going just wasn’t suiting my football if anything.

“It was just one of them really and it happens in football.

“You go somewhere and it doesn’t necessarily work out every time.”

But Mooney was keen to point out he did not opt to depart due to the club’s off-field issues.

“I’d like to think I stuck with it through a lot of what was going on,” said Mooney.

“It was more of the footballing side.

“It wasn’t anything to do with off the field I just wanted to play football.”

Mooney joined Blues in the summer of 2022 before scoring three goals in 49 appearances.

The winger ended up featuring more in the middle of the park and offered an honest assessment of his performances.

“I still played a lot and without the injuries I would’ve played more,” said Mooney.

“It’s hard to say it was just the formation.

“My confidence after not playing a bit maybe went down a bit and in some of the games I was a bit off it.

“It’s on me as well but I do like to be out wide attacking defenders and I felt like I was playing more in the middle.”

Mooney is now looking to kick-start his career back at Altrincham who he was also with for two and a half years before joining the Shrimpers.

And he is enjoying being part of Phil Parkinson’s squad.

“It’s been good,” said Mooney.

“They’re right amongst it in the play-offs and I think the team is a lot better than when I was previously here.

“They can really have a good push at it and hopefully I can be involved in that as well.”

Mooney has made six appearances for the ninth-placed Robins since his return and knows it is important they stop a run of three successive defeats with a positive result this evening.

“It’s a big game for us coming off the back of the weekend (a 3-1 defeat to Maidenhead),” said Mooney.

“We want to bounce back but it’s a long trip as I know from doing it previously.

“I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and catching up with the lads because it’s a great group there.”

But Mooney also expects it to be slightly strange lining up against the Shrimpers.

“It’s weird and it always is going back,” said the 24-year-old.

“I did it going back to Alty with Southend though and it’s football.

“You’re going to play against teams you used to play for.

“It’s just about trying to get the business done and getting the three points.”