COLCHESTER United academy product Noah Chilvers is starting to catch the eye, in the Scottish Premiership.

After missing out on pre-season while his U’s future was being decided, it has taken a little time for the attacking midfielder to get up to match fitness and show Ross County fans exactly what he can do since joining them on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, in late July.

However, Chilvers has now started each of the Staggies’ last four games in a role just behind striker Ronan Hale and in his last outing, played against the Scottish champions Celtic.

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The 23-year-old turned down a new contract at Colchester to sign for Ross County and as he is under the age of 24, the U's were entitled to compensation after he opted to move to another club.

U’s head coach Danny Cowley has now revealed that the deal negotiated by chairman Robbie Cowling and then sporting director Dmitri Halajko ensured the U’s will be well served by future sell-ons, if and when Chilvers moves on again in his career.

Cowley said: “The great thing about the deal is that we’re well remunerated and also, we hold a really good long-term value in Noah.

“We’ve been able to protect that as well, in terms of adds on and in particular, sell-ons.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

“Robbie (Cowling) and Dmitri (Halajko) did a brilliant deal for the football club.

“This is really important, not just for the here and now but also for the academy.

“Whenever we develop young players and we then enjoy them in the first team and they are then sold, the way Robbie does it is that some of the money always goes back into the academy, to keep trying to develop and improve the provision that we can provide for our players.

“I think it was a very good deal for all parties in the end.

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“We were sad to see Noah go, a boy who had been at the club since the age of seven and as a football club, we’re rightly proud of how he’s developed and improved in the four years that he’s played in the first team.

“He’s a young player with a huge amount of talent.

“From our perspective, you never want to lose players like that but sometimes, it’s just the right time.”

Chilvers ended his 14-year association with Colchester in July.

He made nearly 200 senior appearances for the U’s, after making his first-team debut for them in March, 2019.