Jack Paxman is looking forward to a reunion with Paul Sturrock when Maidstone meet Yeovil in the FA Cup on Sunday.

The midfielder was given his break in professional football by Glovers boss Paul Sturrock at Southend.

He looked set for a league career at Roots Hall until Phil Brown took over and released him, two-and-a-half years ago.

Paxman, 21, said: “I played under Paul Sturrock for a little while at Southend and he liked me at the time.

“I’ll see if he remembers me but he should do.

“When I broke into the first team he gave me my first squad number - 22.

“I didn’t have loads to do with him as I was young at the time and when he put me in the squad I was out on loan a lot but he knew his stuff.

“He’s quite quiet but when he wants to tell you something, he lets you know.”

Sturrock, who managed Southampton in the Premiership, is under pressure at Huish Park with Yeovil 23rd in League 2.

But Paxman believes his old manager has what it takes to keep the Glovers up.

He said: “He’s full of experience and has been right to the top.

“Yeovil are up against it a little bit but he’s the boss who could pull them out of trouble if anyone can.

“At Southend we were very direct at the time.

“It was a big team and there wasn’t a lot of football played but he knew how to win games.

“I remember my first experience in the squad going to Rotherham, who were absolutely flying at the time, and we won 3-0.”

Visiting teams in National League South have started to sit back against Stones.

But, as the professional side, Paxman expects Sturrock’s Yeovil to take the tie to Maidstone at the Gallagher Stadium.

He said: “The way we’ve been playing, we’ve tried to get the ball down and make teams work for possession.

“Our defensive record is strong but we’re also good with the ball and a lot of teams in our league have realised the way we want to play and have sat back and made themselves hard to break down.

“But a league side will be favourites to win and that can only benefit us because they will come at us and give us more space to play.

“It’s a really good draw. We’ve got a league club at home, which is perfect for us, but it’s also a tie we feel we should be able to get a result from.

“Yeovil being full-time makes a difference for fitness and things like that.

“We realise the task in hand but they are where they are in the league and that gives us confidence.

“Everyone will give them the respect they deserve but we’re good enough to beat them.”