Colchester United have signed winger Harry Anderson

The 27-year-old has returned to the U's on a permanent basis, having played for them on loan from League One side Stevenage, in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign.

Anderson was a free agent this summer, after being released by Stevenage at the end of last season.

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Colchester head coach Danny Cowley told the club's website: "We're delighted to be able to get Harry over the line.

"He's a boy that Nicky and I know well.

"We were pleased to be able to get him back in January and he's someone who's played this level and mastered this level for a long time.

"He's had two promotions from League Two and knows what it takes.

"He's a great person on the pitch and equally, a great person off the pitch.

(Image: WWW.CU-FC.COM)

"We know when we brought him in in January that he understood how we worked and would be able to integrate within the group really quickly and that was a really smooth transition.

"I think he's a boy who wherever he goes, he's popular and well liked in the dressing room and also really appreciated by supporters, with the way he plays for the team.

"He always puts the team before himself.

"When you look at his qualities as an attacking player, he's very powerful, very direct and always involved in goals, whether scoring them or assisting them and also with the other side of the game against the ball, gives so much to the team.

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"I'm delighted that he's now with us on a permanent basis.

"Obviously, the last 18 months have been frustrating for him in terms of injury and it's been a little bit stop start.

"We probably knew when he came in in January, it probably wouldn't be smooth sailing as he'd had a limited amount of game time in the first half of the season.

"But now we're pretty sure that with a good pre-season and us being able to find that rhythm that he needs in his training, then we're going to see the best of him."

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

Anderson made ten appearances for Colchester after joining them on loan in January, when he was reunited with the Cowley brothers having previously played under them at both Lincoln City and Braintree Town.

He scored two goals in that time, netting in games against Mansfield Town and Forest Green Rovers.

Anderson's season was cut short by a high-grade hamstring injury suffered in the U's 2-1 home defeat to future champions Stockport County.

It meant that he missed the rest of the season and immediately began his conservative rehabilitation with Colchester, to regain the strength of the hamstring muscle.

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The former Peterborough United youngster was a double promotion winner under the Cowleys during his time at the Imps, along with securing a Football League Trophy Final winners medal.

Anderson has made more than 100 appearances in League One for Peterborough, Lincoln, Stevenage and Bristol Rovers, with whom he also won promotion from League Two.

He played three times in total for Stevenage, after joining them from Bristol Rovers, last summer.