EIGHT hundred and sixty five players have represented the U’s at last count – how on earth can you pick the best eleven?

With difficulty – with great difficulty.

I’ve decided then, that I can only choose those I had seen play live.

In goal I’ve gone for Scott Barrett who kept an amazing 54 clean sheets in 120 games for the club.

Greg Halford is my right back. A utility player for the club, his marauding runs, stunning goals and long throws, get him the nod.

Left-back is Nicky Smith. Non-stop effort and energy, he was a major influence in the Conference winning side of 1991/2. The classy Steve Wignall and the battle-hardened Tony English are my central defensive partnership. Stylish, combative, dependable they both had an eye for goal as well.

My right winger is the pacey Perry Groves. He was pure electricity under the Layer Road lights on a Friday night – the fastest ever U’s player?

The best player I’ve ever seen is on the other wing – Lomana Tresor Lua Lua. Who can forget his stunning hat-trick at Loftus Road?

In midfield, Eire midfielder Mark Kinsella teams up with Jason Dozzell.

The former Ipswich man quietly went about his business, but he was sorely missed when out of the side through injury.

Up front it’s a little and large partnership of Jamie Cureton and Roy McDonough.

I loved Big Roy’s physical style of play and his flick ons would tee up Curo who never seemed to miss a one-on-one with the keeper.

No surprises my manager is Phil Parkinson.

As an attacking selector/manager, my three substitutes are Tony Adcock, Chris Iwelumo and utility man Richard Wilkins.

All three (and many others) are unlucky not to make the starting 11.

  • WE’RE getting behind Colchester United with a special initiative to mark the club’s 80th anniversary.

To mark the occasion we want you to pick the top all-time XI to play for the U’s and the club’s best ever manager.

We want you to submit your team online, by post or on email. The closing date is April 14.

A panel of experts will whittle them down to a shortlist. Fans will then be invited to vote for the best XI.

Voting will be available at gazette-news.co.uk, via email and by post, from April 17 to April 30.

The team, including three subs and a manager, will be revealed in a 16-page pull-out on Friday, May 5.

Call us traditionalists, but the formation we have selected for the legends team is 4-4-2, so we need four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards, and a manager.

We will be running a selection of best XIs, so feel free to expand on your selection with a write-up of no more than 300 words explaining why you chose each player. Be sure to include contact details on your submission.

To get involved either fill in, cut out and send the form below to U’s Legends, Colchester Gazette, Unit 1 Brunel Court, Brunel Way, Colchester, CO4 9XP; email us at gazette.newsdesk@nqe.com with your best XI or submit your team at gazette-news.co.uk.