Former Southend United star Stan Collymore's shock decision to quit football has left two of his old Roots Hall team mates shellshocked.

Steve Tilson and Simon Royce both played with the striker during his short spell with the Shrimpers.

But both men said on Thursday they were surprised by the news that the talented, but troubled Collymore had retired from soccer at the age of 30.

"I can't believe Stan has packed it in," said 34-year-old Tilson, who combines playing in midfield for non-league Canvey Island with his duties as director of Blues' centre of excellence.

"He's got so much talent, but something has obviously gone wrong for Stan and he has decided to call it a day."

Collymore, who recently joined Spanish club Real Oviedo, released a statement yesterday saying he was retiring from football to spend more time with his son Thomas and fiancee Estelle.

He also said he wanted to pursue other career options outside of soccer, with the forward believed to be toying with a move into acting.

Collymore is without doubt Southend's most famous son and became a Roots Hall legend during the later part of the 1992-93 season.

He scored 18 goals in 33 spectacular appearances to keep Blues in Division One and fire them to the FA Cup fifth round.

And Tilson said the wayward hitman, who won three England caps, was wrong to turn his back on the game.

"Stan should be entering the peak of his career at the moment, not hanging up his boots," he said.

"He is without doubt the best player I have ever seen and had the ability to be the best striker in England. Stan was strong on the ball, could beat defenders, score long range goals with either foot and win the ball in the air.

"I'd put him up there with the likes of Ronaldo, but he never reached the heights he should have achieved.

"If he really does give up now it would be such a waste. I mean I'm four years older than Stan and I'm still playing week in, week out in the Ryman League for Canvey.

"He could always come back to Roots Hall and pull on a Southend shirt again - I'm sure he would still do the business for Blues."

Collymore joined Southend for a bargain £150,000 fee from Crystal Palace, before joining Nottingham Forest for a club record £3.57 million in June 1993.

He went on to make a British record £8.5m move to Liverpool and a £7m switch to Aston Villa where his off the field problems began.

Collymore admitted to having mental problems and was booked into the exclusive Priory clinic.

But he failed to get his football career back on track, despite joining Fulham on loan and making moves to Premiership clubs Leicester City and Bradford, before his recent exile to Spain.

However, former Southend goalkeeper Royce, now number one shot-stopper at Leicester, said Collymore wasn't the same player he had known at Roots Hall when he arrived at Filbert Street.

"Stan has always been a bit of loner and kept himself to himself, but I can't believe he has given up playing," said the 29-year-old, who still owns a house in Hockley.

"When I moved to Leicester, Stan was already there and I was really excited about playing with the striker I had known at Southend.

"Stan was good as gold at Blues, but his whole attitude to the game was different at Leicester.

"He would turn up late for training, had put on weight and had developed a very short fuse.

"He was never like that at Southend and it's a shame because he could have been such a great player.

"If he'd got his head right I'm sure Stan could have been right up there with the very best in the world.

"But he's made a good living out of the game, without sadly putting much back in return during the last couple of seasons."

Southend boss David Webb, who signed both Tilson and Royce, made an audacious bid to re-sign Collymore recently.

But he was warned off the temperamental hitman by another former Shrimpers manager, Peter Taylor, who is now in charge of Leicester.

Golden moments - Stan Collymore enjoyed some legendary performances as a Southend United striker.

By Bernie Friend

Reporter's e-mail: bernie.friend@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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