COLCHESTER United have completed the signing of goalkeeper Shamal George on a two-year deal.

The 22-year-old was a free agent after leaving newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool, earlier this summer.

And after spending pre-season with the U's, the shot-stopper has now joined the League Two club on a permanent basis.

George becomes Colchester's second signing of the summer, following the arrival of defender Tommy Smith earlier this week.

U's head coach Steve Ball is delighted to have completed the signing of George, who will compete with Dean Gerken for the number one spot, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Ball said: "With how I want to play, there's a huge emphasis on my goalkeeper being comfortable on the ball.

"That's a huge part of what a goalkeeper has to be, along with size and being a good shot stopper and everything else which is obviously massively important.

"But the modern goalkeeper and how we want to play has to be comfortable in possession and he ticks all over those boxes.

"He's an up and coming goalkeeper with a really great pedigree, with him having been at Liverpool for a number of years.

"He's a couple of loan experiences and I think we've just got him at the right time.

"He's 22 now, so it's not like he's a young un.

"He's an ambitious kid and I think it's been a really positive week on that front, with a really quality centre-half in Tommy (Smith) signing and now a really strong goalkeeper, in Shamal."

George has been training with Colchester in pre-season and featured in all of their friendlies, against Peterborough United, Ipswich Town and Gillingham.

The 6ft 3in keeper spent 13 years at Liverpool, having joined them as a nine-year-old back in 2007.

He already has experience of playing in League Two, having played seven times for Carlisle United on loan during the 2017-18 season.

The shot-stopper has also had loan spells at Tranmere Rovers and Marine AFC and has now sealed a permanent switch to Colchester, following his exit from Liverpool.