Norwich City's on loan youngster Matt Dennis has not impressed Southend chief Phil Brown, after dropping out of Saturday's National League game in the warm up with an undiagnosed hamstring issue.

Dennis, who joined the Shrimpers on a season long loan, was in the matchday squad for the weekend's 3-1 defeat at Halifax, but according to Brown failed to flag up a tight hamstring he first felt earlier in the week.

“Matty is a young lad who doesn’t understand his body just yet by the looks of it,” said Brown, quoted by the Southend Echo. “I spoke to him today (Monday) and asked him honestly when he first felt his hamstring and he said it was tight all week.

“He said he felt it most on Friday. I don’t like that kind of response and I want a bit of honesty from the player. Yes they’ve got a career about to begin but we need a level of maturity and honesty.

“I could’ve had Hamzad (Kargbo) on the bench from minute one and he would’ve been motivated instead of coming from the stand. I wouldn’t imagine anyone likes that doing that.

“But Matty is still in the treatment room so obviously he wasn’t anywhere near for the game.”

The 19-year-old joined City from Arsenal in July 2020 and became a regular for the club's Under-23s in Premier League 2 last season, scoring five goals in 21 league appearances.

He also notched twice in the Papa John’s Trophy against the senior sides of Plymouth Argyle and Newport County.

Dennis, who is under contract at Carrow Road until 2022, impressed Brown during a trial this summer and made his Southend debut in the opening day 1-0 win at King's Lynn.