Before, during & after Southend
Academy midfielder Nico Cotton spent three years in Southend's professional squad, gaining regular match experience in non-league football including a 2017 loan to Lowestoft Town. His only senior Southend first-team outing came from the bench in the Football League Trophy against Reading's under-21 side on 3 October 2017.
The brief appearance still counts as a genuine competitive first-team game. Cotton moved on to Lewes in 2018.

