COLCHESTER United entertain Brentford tonight in the Carabao Cup.
With the Bees now a Premier League club and the U's in the fourth tier, the hosts will go into the second-round tie as underdogs.
However, there are plenty of past and present connections between the two clubs.
Current Colchester players Alan Judge, Tommy Smith and John Akinde have all represented Brentford, in the past.
Here the Gazette looks at five players who have pulled on the shirt for both clubs, over recent years.
TARIQUE FOSU
THE winger arrived at the U's on loan from Championship side Reading in August, 2016.
He spent the whole of the 2016-17 season at Colchester, playing under John McGreal.
Fosu made 34 league and cup appearances for the U's, before returning to his parent club.
He joined Charlton Athletic in 2017 and joined Brentford in January 2020, for an undisclosed fee.
Fosu made his Premier League debut for the Bees last March and is currently on loan at Stoke City.
COURTNEY SENIOR
SENIOR came through the academy at Brentford and made one senior substitute appearance for them before joining Colchester, in 2016.
He suffered a serious injury days after joining the U's in pre-season which kept him out for the entire 2016-17 season.
Senior scored on his U's debut in their 5-1 win over Forest Green in August, 2017 and went on to make 145 league and cup appearances for the club before being released in the summer of 2021.
He joined Newport County but suffered another serious injury which kept him sidelined for the vast majority of last season.
Senior was released by Newport, earlier this summer.
KARLEIGH OSBORNE
OSBORNE started his career at Brentford and made 185 league and cup appearances for the club before leaving in 2012.
After joining Millwall, the defender then moved on to Bristol City, from whom he joined the U's on loan in February, 2015.
Osborne made four appearances for Colchester, in the 2014-15 season.
He went on to play for the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Grimsby Town and Braintree Town.
MARCUS BEAN
AFTER playing for the likes of QPR and Blackpool, midfielder Bean joined Brentford in July, 2008.
He became a firm fans favourite at Griffin Park, making 168 league and cup appearances for the Bees in a four-year spell with the club.
Bean left Brentford to join Colchester in 2012 and was at the JobServe Community Stadium for three years.
He made 73 appearances for the U's, in all competitions and represented Wycombe Wanderers, in the latter years of his career.
MARTIN ROWLANDS
MIDFIELDER Rowlands became an established figure at Brentford after joining them in August, 1998.
He played 186 games for the Bees over a five-year period, before leaving them to join QPR in 2003.
Rowlands spent nine years at Rangers making more than 200 appearances before them before joining Colchester in February, 2012.
Playing under John Ward, the midfielder played nine games for them in the second half of the 2012-13 season.
Rowlands also played for Leyton Orient and Aldershot, before hanging up his boots.
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