Colchester United have appointed Dmitri Halajko as Sporting Director

Halajko has returned to the club in the newly-created role, having previously worked for them in a number of roles during a ten-year stint at the U’s.

Halajko, who left his role as West Ham United academy coach at the end of last year, spent ten years connected to Colchester between 2000 and 2010.

He worked as their Centre of Excellence Manager/Community Manager and leading the Colchester United Ladies team was also among his roles.

Halajko also had a hand in bringing through a number of talented young U’s players.

He left the JobServe Community Stadium in 2010 to take up a Regional Manager position at the Football Association.

He was there for two years, before taking up the position of U12-U16 Lead Phase Coach and U16 Head Coach at Norwich City.

He spent five years at Carrow Road in total, progressing to a role of Professional Development Lead Phase Coach and U21s Head Coach with the Canaries while combining that with a position of Youth Coach Educator and Youth Module Tutor with the FA.

Halajko moved on in 2017 to Leicester City, where he headed up Player Development for the Premier League Club for two years.

He took in his current role as West Ham United’s U23s and PDP Lead Coach in the summer of 2019.

Halajko returned to Colchester in September 2020 during his time as the Hammers under-21 boss for a Papa John's Trophy group game between the two clubs.

Halajko's appointment as Colchester's new Sporting Director follows their key changes at board level made last month.

The U's appointed long-serving duo Steve Ball and Corin Haines as club directors, joining executive chairman Robbie Cowling and director of football Tony Humes on the club's board.

Ball was named Technical Director, while Haines was appointed Community Director.

Jon De Souza left his role as the U's Director of Performance in April to take up a role as Men's First Team Development Coach at League One side Charlton Athletic.

And Joe Monks departed his position as Colchester's Head of Senior Recruitment after four years at the club to take charge as Football Operations Manager at non-league outfit South Shields.