HAYDEN Mullins expects Colchester United’s players to run the dressing room themselves this season following the arrival of a host of experienced players.

Mullins is preparing to embark on his first season as the U’s full-time head coach, following his appointment on a permanent basis last month.

Colchester have added a host of seasoned players to their squad since Mullins’ appointment, with the likes of Luke Chambers, Cole Skuse and Frank Nouble all being snapped up to link up with players such as Tommy Smith, Tom Eastman and Dean Gerken, already at the club.

The U’s squad will have a more senior look to it in League Two this season and ahead of them reporting for pre-season duty on Thursday, boss Mullins says he trusts his players to lead by example.

He said: “I want the group to run the dressing room.

“I want them to run the dressing room themselves; I want them to look after it and I’m sure we will do.

“We’ve got a lot of players who are captain material in the dressing room and it’ll be a place where we’ll have our way in which we want to do it and we’ll stick to it.

“We’ll have a few players in there who can police that very well.

“It’ll be a good dressing room – there’ll be a few leaders in that room which will be very good.

“Hopefully, we’ll get off to a good start and who knows where we can get to.”

Meanwhile, Mullins is looking forward to returning to one of his former clubs when Colchester visit Birmingham City in the Carabao Cup first round, in August.

Mullins spent two years at St Andrew’s, making 39 appearances for them between 2012 and 2014.

“They’re a very good club – they’re a big club in the Midlands and one that’s trying to get back into the Premier League,” said Mullins.

“They’ve got a very good young manager who I know quite well in Lee Bowyer, who I played with previously at West Ham.

“They’re a good side and a good club and I really enjoyed my time there, as a player.

“It was a good place to play football and it’ll be a good one for us, a good test.

“There’ll be no pressure on us, against a Championship side.

“It’s away from home and it’ll be a great game for the boys.

“It’s a lovely stadium and if the fans are in, it’ll be a great atmosphere.

“There’ll be no pressure on us and it’ll be good to see where we are at that point in time as a team and what we’re trying to do.”