King’s Lynn Town head into battle at Southend on Friday night with a player that manager Tommy Widdrington reckons is bucking the trend.

Olly Scott sacrificed his Christmas to prove his worth to Widdrington – and then played his first two games for free.

The left-sided defender has proved a hit with fans and manager alike and this week signed a deal that will see him stay until at least the end of the current National League season.

“Olly is a great example to any youngster, as anyone who represents him or sends emails around saying this player can do this and this and this and this,” said Widdrington.

“He didn’t do any of that. He said ‘I will come in and show you what I can do and if you feel I can make a difference to your squad then I am prepared to pay for nothing’, which is what he did.

“He played for nothing against Chesterfield and he played for nothing against Notts County. Now that in my guesstimation is probably one in a million in today’s game.

“There are too many who think the game owes them a living. It doesn’t. Anybody who comes to this football club has to work hard and prove to me they are worthy of the shirt. He has sacrificed two or three weeks of his life, and he’s taken a risk to be fair to the lad. But I like to think he has been repaid in the best way I can by showing my confidence in the fact I think he can do us a job.”

Zain Walker, who had a short loan spell from Bristol Rovers earlier in the season, also returns on a permanent basis until the summer at least.

"When I heard that he was available I made a call and when I spoke to Zain he was really keen to come back," said Widdrington.

Lynn head to Southend desperate to top up their points tally in the battle against relegation.

Theo Widdrington and Ken Charles are available after being cup tied for last week’s FA Trophy defeat at Tonbridge Angles, Defender Luis Fernandez is fit, having missed the game with a slight niggle. But defender Kyle Callan-McFadden is unlikely to start.