Colchester United boss Phil Parkinson this morning completed a sensational double swoop.
Following weeks of speculation over who Parky would bring in to boost his squad, both Wayne Andrews and Phil Hadland have signed on the dotted line in the last 24 hours.
Summer signing - Colchester United have snapped-up Oldham striker Wayne Andrews
Andrews, a pacey and highly-rated 25-year-old centre-forward, has been snapped-up on a free transfer from crisis club Oldham Athletic on a two-year contract.
Nippy 22-year-old winger Hadland, who was a trainee at Reading when Parkinson was a player, joins from Darlington on a one-year deal.
Both players were on parade at Layer Road this morning as the squad gathered for their first pre-season training session of the new season.
Delighted to have completed his double signing, Parkinson said: "Wayne is still raw, but the thing that strikes me about him is his hunger to succeed.
"He's a player with genuine pace and I feel he gives us something that we haven't got.
"The pull we had is that he is a southern boy and he was very keen to get back down to this part of the country."
Andrews said: "I'm very pleased. It's been a big wrench leaving Oldham with what has been going on there in the last couple of months but it was just a case of weighing up my options and looking after my family."
Parkinson said of Hadland: "Phil is a pacey wide player and he will provide good competition for places."
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Published Tuesday, July 1, 2003
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