MATT Bloomfield has quit Colchester United todayย after less than five months after agreeing 'in principal' to take over at former club Wycombe Wanderers.

The Chairboys have appointed Bloomfield as new boss, after he quit as the U's head coach.

Bloomfield will return to Wycombe tomorrow to finalise his appointment as manager of the club.

Bloomfield leaves Colchester to take over at Wycombe to replace Gareth Ainsworth, who has been appointed as QPRโ€™s new manager.

The Championship side have appointed Ainsworth as Neil Critchleyโ€™s successor.

Bloomfield spent almost two decades at Adams Park as a player.

He played more than 500 games for the Chairboys in his professional career before leaving them to take over as as Colchester boss, last September.

He had previously been working alongside Ainsworth as the Chairboys first-team coach.

In a statement, Colchester United FC said: 'It has been agreed in principle that Matt Bloomfield will join Wycombe Wanderers as their new Manager.

'The Chairboys have acted quickly following the departure of Gareth Ainsworth to QPR, taking their former player and coach back to Buckinghamshire.

'All the relevant paperwork is expected to be completed and signed imminently, but all aspects of the move have been agreed between the two clubs.

'Bloomfield returns to his former club less than five months after joining the Uโ€™s as Head Coach back in October 2022.

'The search for a new U's Head Coach will begin immediately, and any further news will be announced in due course.'

Gazette:

It is a blow for Colchester to lose Bloomfield, who has impressed since his appointment as Wayne Brownโ€™s successor.

Bloomfield took charge of a Colchester side who were one point above the League Two relegation zone, after ten matches of the season.

The Uโ€™s are now nine points above the drop zone, with Bloomfield having landed the League Two Manager of the Month for January.

Bloomfield won nine, drawn six and lost 12 of the 27 matches he took charge of, in all competitions.