 Upon his return to Motherwell, he made his debut against Aberdeen at Pittodrie at the age of eighteen and thereafter became a regular in the side, making over 200 league appearances across seven campaigns.Hammell joined Southend United in July 2006 on a free transfer from Motherwell after his contract had expired – turning down more established sides such as Derby County, Southampton and Aberdeen.In 2005, Hammell was the subject of a £1m bid from Scottish Premier League Champions Celtic, however the move did not materialise.