COLCHESTER United’s players report for the first day of pre-season today – with more new signings expected to soon link up with their new-look squad.

The U’s have already brought in four signings ahead of the new season, with last week’s additions of Ben Goodliffe and JK Gordon adding to the capture of Harry Anderson and Matt Macey earlier this summer.

There has been plenty of change to Colchester’s squad since the end of last season, with the likes of John Akinde, Jayden Fevrier and Jay Mingi all departing.

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Danny Cowley is aiming to build a squad capable of challenging at the right end of League Two and the U’s head coach says there is still plenty of time to bring in more new faces.

Cowley said: “The great thing is that we know exactly what we need; we know the type of player that we need, we know the type of people that we need to bring success to this football club and we’ll make some intelligent and informed decisions that will hopefully allow us to get better, on the pitch.

“We have clarity over what we want.

“Pre-season is a vital time for us to work as a group and bring people together, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

“We’ll be using the depth of the window to be able to add those bits to the group.

“Sometimes, players that you want are not quite available to you in early June but to become available to you in July, or maybe even the beginning of August.”

Colchester’s players underwent testing at the University of Essex last week, ahead of reporting for duty at Florence Park today.

They have been undertaking their own individual programmes throughout the summer, with the big kick-off now less than six weeks away.

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“We navigate through the months of May and June – we like July, as it’s the beginning of pre-season,” said Cowley.

“We’re back on the grass and the ball starts rolling again, so it definitely becomes more fun, once we get to July and it’s even more fun once we get to August and the season starts.

“We’re trying to use this time wisely.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

“Without the players being in the building and without the game schedule, it gives us an opportunity to look at the club in a strategic viewpoint and try to build for the future.

“For us, this club is about growth.

“How can we grow? How we become the club that we want to be.

“I think we’ve got a really good model, a conveyor belt of young talent.

“The football world knows that now and the football world is watching, so it’s a brilliant place for young players to come and play.”