RENE Gilmartin's exit from Colchester United is expected to be confirmed in the next 48 hours.

The U's goalkeeper player-coach is set to leave the JobServe Community Stadium and join Bristol City, after his contract expired.

Gilmartin has not signed the new deal offered to him by the club and with it now being July 1, the transfer can be confirmed.

The 32-year-old is set to move to the Robins, where is expected to be back up for Niki Maenpaa and Daniel Bentley.

He will link up with former Colchester favourite Sammie Szmodics, who also signed for the Championship club last week.

Colchester are believed to be looking for an experienced keeper as a potential replacement for Gilmartin.

They have been linked with their former goalkeeper Dean Gerken, who is available on a free transfer after leaving Ipswich Town at the end of last season.

Gilmartin, who joined Colchester from Championship side Watford in the summer of 2017, played 24 times for them during the 2018-19 season.

The Republic of Ireland under-21 international competed for the goalkeeper’s jersey with Dillon Barnes, who made 26 league and cup appearances for John McGreal’s side and Ethan Ross, who helped the U’s keep back-to-back clean sheets in their final two games of the season.

Barnes will be unavailable for Colchester’s League Two opener against Port Vale as he completes a three-match suspension following his red card at Yeovil Town, in the U’s penultimate away game of the last campaign.