KARL Duguid is confident his beloved Colchester United can preserve their League Two status and stay in the Football League.

The U’s double promotion winner, who played more than 450 times during his two spells with the club, last week spent the day with management duo Danny and Nicky Cowley and the players at their Florence Park training ground.

Colchester head into this weekend’s home clash with Walsall in the relegation zone, following Forest Green Rovers’ midweek win at Bradford City.

READ MORE: Freddie Sears enjoys a winning debut for his new club

But Duguid, who skippered the U’s to a historic tenth-place finish in the Championship in the 2006-07 season, still believes his old club can survive the drop.

Duguid said: “I’m confident that they will get the job done.

“You do look at the table and you do worry slightly but I’m still confident.

“I just feel we’ve just got to get through this season by hook or by crook and stay in this league and I think then you’ll see a different Colchester United, I really do believe that.

“You’ve got to be positive, you’ve got to be confident and being at the training ground last week, there was no feeling of any negativity.

Gazette: Danny Cowley

“We’ve drawn a lot of games since they came in and you’ve got to turn those draws into wins, obviously.

“When you’re down there, you need people in the changing room to pick you up, you need good characters.”

Duguid spent six hours at Colchester’s training ground in Tiptree last week, after being invited by sporting director Dmitri Halajko.

He spent time with the Cowleys and attended the pre-match team meeting, in addition to being on the training pitch and chatting to players and staff.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Duguid, who was part of the U’s coaching team during Joe Dunne’s spell in charge between 2012 and 2014.

READ MORE: Samson Tovide's return will feel like Christmas for Danny Cowley

“I’d spend every day there if I could!

“They said I could be a fly on the wall for the whole day.

“I loved being on the training field again and in and around it all.

“Danny and Nicky were great, picking my brains about managers and things that I’d done and stuff like that.

“They are very driven and that drive and positivity rubs off on everyone, including the players.

“The players were excellent and really respectful and all of the staff were great – they were all very welcoming.

Gazette:

“One of the biggest things to come out of the whole day for me was that a couple of the players who I’d never met before came to me and asked what games I’d been to and said that they’d done a bit of groundwork on me, on what I’d done.

“I felt quite humbled by that and it was really nice.”

READ MORE: U's plan major works on pitch after postponements

Duguid is running the London Marathon next month and is raising money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.

He added: “The training’s going really well – so far, so good.

“I did a half marathon at the weekend, which was good.

“I’m running for Great Ormond Street and for a young lad called Ryan Bishop that I used to coach.

“Great Ormond Street have been fantastic with him and it’s a great charity.

“I’m trying to get someone to make me a Col United vest to wear on the day!”

To donate, go to the JustGiving page here