RICHIE FORAN today admitted he was sold on a move to Southend by former Motherwell team mates Stevie Hammell and Alan McCormack.

Irish midfielder Foran sealed a £200,000 move away from Firhill to the Coca Cola Championship club on the final day of the January transfer window.

And he revealed former Steelmen favourites Hammell and McCormack had talked him into joining the Roots Hall outfit.

He said: "I spoke to Stevie and Alan and they persuaded me to move.

"They said it is a club on the way up. I think we have some decent players. I wouldn't have come here if I didn't think we could stay up.

"The chance to play in the Championship is also what drew me to England. I have always wanted to play at this level."

Meanwhile, Well boss Maurice Malpas has told fans he needed to cash in on the popular player - or risk losing him for NOTHING in the summer.

Malpas said: "We had to agree to it. We think the fee is a decent return for the player.

"Both sides are happy with the deal. Richie realises his time at the club has been good for him. He knows we took a risk signing him. Everyone has gained out of it.

"In an ideal world we wouldn't have wanted to have let him go, but he had hinted he wasn't going to sign on again after we had offered him a new deal."

"We had already knocked back a couple of offers from Southend and we thought things were done and dusted and this move came out of the blue last night."

Malpas has brought in Hungarian youngster Krisztian Vadoc on loan from Auxerre.

But he added: "Richie leaving gives one of the fringe players at the club the chance to show what they can do."