CHARLTON Athletic boss Nathan Jones insists he will not be taking Southend United or the FA Cup lightly on his return to Roots Hall tomorrow.

Jones brings the League One Addicks to Blues for an eagerly anticipated first round clash.

And the former Shrimpers full-back is fully aware of the size of the task facing his team.

“It’s the FA Cup and it’s away from home so it’s always tough wherever you go,” said Jones.

“Obviously knowing Southend and the people there I know it will be a really tough game for us but the FA Cup is so important on a number of levels.

“The history of the competition means you have to treat it with respect.

“We won’t be taking it lightly and we won’t be thinking about it not being a priority.

“It is a priority because it’s the next game.”

The first round clash, which is likely to attract the biggest Roots Hall crowd since 2019, will see Jones facing his former Shrimpers team-mate Kevin Maher in the dug out.

And Jones, who made 114 appearances between 1997 and 2000 for Blues, has been impressed by the job Maher has done.

“Kev’s done a very, very good job under difficult circumstances at Southend,” said Jones.

“I played with Kev and he’s a good friend of mine.

“I’ve known him a long time and we’ve stayed in touch.

“I’ve come up against him plenty of times and I’ve always enjoyed our friendship and rivalry. .

“He’s really stabilised the club and they’ve turned a corner. I know they’ve had issues and managing a football club is always difficult even in perfect circumstances.

“But when you’ve got a lot of turmoil and uncertainty it’s even tougher and Kev has shown real maturity, especially in his first job.

“I think he’s been excellent.”

However, Jones is firmly focused on his own tough task with Charlton.

And the 51-year-old, who was appointed back in February, believes it is still early days for him at the Valley.

“We’re OK,” said Jones.

“We’ve not hit anywhere near where we’re going to hit but at times I think we’ve been outstanding.

“At times we’ve been poor but for us it’s about finding some real consistency in our levels and performances.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries which have cost us but we’re in our infancy in terms of evolution and development of the squad and team.

“But we’re looking forward to this game and what the rest of the season will bring.”