Wrexham keeper coach Aidan Davison has fond U's memories

It might be 15 years since he left North Essex to embark on his coaching career but the former U’s goalkeeper still holds his former club in high regard, as he prepares to face them for the first time this weekend.

Davison is now goalkeeping coach at Wrexham working under ex-Colchester boss Phil Parkinson, who brought Davison to Layer Road in what proved to be his final move in a long and successful playing career.

“I’ve always had one eye on Colchester because it has a special place in my heart,” said Davison.

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“I went on a journey with Colchester.

“But Saturday is Saturday; we know it’s a business and that’s that.

“It’ll be nice to see some faces I haven’t see for a while but we have to take care of things from our end.”

Davison initially only signed for Colchester for a year, after arriving from Grimsby Town in 2004.

The 55-year-old made more than 100 appearances for the U’s including playing 45 games in the club’s memorable League One 2005-06 promotion-winning season, where his performances proved pivotal.

“I only went for a season but I enjoyed it so much with us getting promoted that I stayed for three and a half, four years, albeit the last year I was injured,” said Davison.

“I enjoyed it so much I kept staying and kept extending for another year, because it was a solid group of players and like a family around the club.

“It was just a great time and I really enjoyed every aspect of it.

“Winning promotion at Colchester was fantastic but it wasn’t just about that for me.

“It was a great place to raise children; we lived in Suffolk and it was a sleepy little place with a pub and a post office and a school.

“It was just a quality time of life and it’s always nice when you’re winning as well.

“That Colchester team was pretty formidable really and to get promoted was fantastic.

“They were really good times and it’s up there with many of the other things I was lucky to achieve in my career because I enjoyed it from the broad perspective that it was a great time for my family, too.”

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Parkinson embarked on his first managerial role when he took over at Colchester in February, 2003.

Davison was part of his assembled team that achieved a historic promotion to English football’s second tier for the first time in the club’s history.

“I got a look at the gaffer in his first role in management, at Colchester and it was very successful,” said Davison, who had played alongside Parkinson at Bury.

“He put together a quality group of players who were hungry and to get Colchester into the Championship was a spectacular achievement.

“Some of those players went on to play in the Premier League; some had played in it, prior to that.

“It was a special time.

“It was at old Layer Road which at that time was like a fortress because not many people wanted to play there, so you could use that to your advantage which was pretty amazing.

“We got used to playing there and it could be quite hostile.

“I saw Johnnie Jackson not long ago; I still speak to Kevin (Watson), Dean Gerken, Mark, occasionally Pat Baldwin.

“I saw Chris Iwelumo the other week when he was doing the radio; couldn’t get a word in edgeways!

“I think he spoke for ten minutes and I spoke for two seconds and that was it, we parted! Chris is a great lad.

“I was away for 15 years out of the country so it’s really nice to reconnect with people.”

Davison began coaching during the final part of his spell at Colchester, nurturing the likes of Dean Gerken and Mark Cousins as they embarked on their own professional careers.

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He said: “That was one of the reasons I went to Colchester.

“I was still playing but Phil told me about a couple of young goalkeepers there – one was Dean Gerken and the other one was Mark (Cousins).

“He told me about their potential which interested me, because I was coming towards the end and I just wanted to give back and help them and elevate their careers and improve them.

“If I could pass on one piece of information then that would be worthwhile, so that was part of my journey.”

After leaving Colchester in 2008, Davison’s coaching career has taken him to the United States and India, along with the reserve-team manager role at Hull City.

“My last job prior to coming to Wrexham was in India with Phil Brown,” he said.

“I had two years with Phil in the ISL and then Covid hit so I took a year out – nobody was working anywhere through Covid so I spent the year basically golfing between Florida and Arizona, because there was no lockdown in Florida and Arizona.

“I’ve worked in coaching since I retired from playing, in 2008.

“I did take a year out when I retired to move to the US to sort of get the kids settled in but then I jumped back on board and came back to Hull City, which is where I met Steve.

“That was a good year and I enjoyed that, cutting my teeth as reserve-team manager at Hull City.

“That was a great experience and I learnt a lot.

“Coaching is almost as good as playing!

“There’s nothing as good as playing but we all know that those days come along when you no longer can do that and your body doesn’t allow you to do it.

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“It’s funny, because when you’re a player you’re very selfish and you think about yourself and your own performance and obviously the team because you want to help them but you need to get your own performance first.

“But as a coach, you’re very unselfish and you have to think about everything but yourself.

“I’ve really enjoyed helping people and the Hull City role really set me up well for other parts of my career when I went back to the US and I had a few years managing, so that was stimulating.

“I’ve probably done every single job really, apart from chief scout and assistant manager.”

In the summer of 2022, Davison returned to the UK to take up his current role as goalkeeping coach at Wrexham, linking up again with Parkinson.

He said: “I’ve obviously known the gaffer for a long time.

“I worked with him at Colchester and prior to that, I played with him briefly at Bury and we’ve stayed in touch.

“I’ve always followed his career and I saw the project that he had here at Wrexham along with Steve Parkin, who I also know from Hull City, so when I had the opportunity to join them I jumped at it, just because I know the quality of the people I’m working with.

“I thought it was brilliant and I was ready for a new challenge, so it made sense.

“I’m loving my role at the minute – it’s fantastic, working with great people and we’ve got a talented group of players, so it makes every day stimulating.”

This weekend, Davison faces one of his former clubs as Wrexham host Colchester at the Racecourse Ground.

The Welsh club’s profile has gone through the roof after Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control and things are going well on the pitch too, with the Red Dragons currently riding high in second place in League Two.

Davison added: “There’s obviously a buzz that follows the club because of the association with the owners.

“That’s great for the town and it’s elevated the town and everyone associated with it and long may it continue.

“But when you’re on the inside, you just focus on getting the result from game to game and the preparation during the week.

“My role is strictly with goalkeepers and I’m focused on that and I’m enjoying it.

“We’ve had a good season, last season and we want to continue it with this.

“So far, so good and we just need to keep it going.”