DANNY Cowley says Colchester United are aiming to sign more players with the same qualities as Harry Anderson – both on and off the pitch.

The U’s have so far brought in two new players ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, with Anderson following Matt Macey in arriving at the club, this summer.

Anderson has already tasted life at Colchester, having played for them on loan from League One side Stevenage in the second half of last season.

READ MORE: Out-of-contract U's duo must make right 'career decision'

Prior to that, the 27-year-old winger had played under Danny and Nicky Cowley at both Lincoln City and Braintree Town and the U’s boss says he is looking to bring in more players with the same traits.

Cowley said: “For us, it’s always to sign the right player but first and foremost, he must be the right person.

“Harry is one of those that you can go to bed as a manager on a Friday night and you don’t have to worry about him.

“You know exactly what you’re going to get from him and whatever it is, you’re going to get his absolute very best.

“If you sign enough boys with that mentality and that will to win and that attitude and work ethic, then you won’t be far short.

(Image: WWW.CU-FC.COM)

“We signed Harry first as a young boy from Peterborough on loan at Braintree and then took him on loan again, at Lincoln before paying money for him to sign him on a permanent transfer.

“He’s a boy that’s won promotion out of League Two twice and knows exactly what it takes.

“He did brilliantly for us and gives us such an incredible level of consistency in terms of his work ethic and his work rate, what he gives you against the ball, the way he’s able to carry the ball up the pitch and turn defence into attack and bring goals as well.

“He’s always been so physically robust and he plays in a position where he’s trying to do the hardest things in the game, which is create goals and score goals.

READ MORE: U's fans group hoping to be 'best at what they do in country'

“We have a lot of confidence in him and he’s an incredible kid.

“He’ll be a big influence on the changing room as well.”

Anderson missed the final few weeks of last season due to a hamstring injury, having prior to that been sidelined with a groin injury at previous club Stevenage.

Cowley says the U’s will be ‘intelligent’ in managing Anderson, to ensure they get the very best out of their new signing in League Two.

Cowley added: “This time last year, he’d had a groin operation and some work done there.

“He came back and went straight into pre-season, which is the type of boy he is.

(Image: WWW.CU-FC.COM)

“For Nicky and I, you have two types of player – you have the ones that you have to constantly push forward and the ones that you have to hold back.

“We like the ones that you have to hold back and Harry’s definitely one of them because sometimes, his heart rules his head.

“He’s such an honest, hard-working boy who just wants to do his best and sometimes, you just have to save those players from themselves.

“I think for us, we know Harry’s body and we know how to train him intelligently to be able to get him to perform consistently well.

“We’re looking forward to renewing that relationship and I think he’ll bring a lot, both on and off the pitch.”