Manchester United have completed the signing of Southend United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop for an undisclosed fee on the final day of the January transfer window.

Bishop has been a regular for the Shrimps, making 12 league appearances in what has been a shocking season so far, with Sol Campbell's men currently slumped in 22nd place in League One and 15 points from safety.

It is a move which leaves the club with just one professional goalkeeper on their books in the form of Mark Oxley and will almost certainly force them back into the market or a move for an emergency loan once the window has slammed shut.

QUIZ: Do you know where these 15 ex-Southend players are playing now?

Bishop has been with the club for over four years, joining the academy as a 16-year-old and rising through the ranks and making his first-team debut as an 18-year-old against Scunthorpe United in 2017.

This weekend sees them welcome Lincoln City to Roots Hall and the fans will want to see reinforcements brought in before then.

The verdict

This is a brilliant move for the player, there is no doubt about that, but it is another damning enditement of the current state of Southend United.

The club are 15 points from safety and do not appear to even be trying to survive the drop. I worry about the atmosphere at the ground if two or three solid signings are not brought in before the deadline passes because it could turn toxic very quickly.

Having just two goalkeepers on the books is damning enough but to now be down to just one is something else and leaves them in a truly vulnerable position.