Five Colchester United players to return to the club

Sears has returned to the U's from Ipswich Town, having left the JobServe Community Stadium in 2015.

The 31-year-old striker is not the only player over recent times to have made a permanent switch back to Colchester, having earlier departed for pastures new.

The Gazette looks at five other players who have left and then rejoined the club.

DAVID FOX

THE silky midfielder played his part for Colchester in their 2009-10 season, in League One.

He scored in each of the U's opening two games of that campaign, including in the remarkable 7-1 opening-day victory at Norwich City.

Fox played 21 games for Colchester under Paul Lambert and then Aidy Boothroyd, before leaving to join Norwich in the summer of 2010.

The former Manchester United youngster spent more than four years at Carrow Road before returning to the U's in the 2014-15 season, under Tony Humes.

He played 33 games that season, helping Colchester stay in League One on the final day of the season.

Fox went on to play for Plymouth Argyle and Crewe Alexandra.

KARL DUGUID

U'S LEGEND Duguid made nearly 450 league and cup appearances in his first spell for Colchester, having made his senior debut for them in September, 1996.

He skippered them to a historic promotion to the Championship in 2006 before leaving to join Plymouth Argyle, in the summer of 2008.

Duguid spent three years with the Pilgrims before returning to Colchester for a second spell, in 2011.

He made a further 34 league and cup appearances for the U's before departing for a second time in May, 2014.

DEAN GERKEN

GERKEN began his career at Colchester and emerged through the youth ranks, at Layer Road.

The goalkeeper made his senior debut for the U's in April, 2004 and went on to make 126 league and cup appearances before leaving to join Ipswich Town, in the summer of 2013.

Gerken clocked up more than a century of appearances for the Tractor Boys over a six-year period, before making a return to Colchester in the summer of 2019.

The 36-year-old shot-stopper has made 79 appearances for the U's over the past two seasons and is now looking forward to a third season at the JobServe Community Stadium, in his second spell with the club.

GEORGE ELOKOBI

THE big defender made a huge impression at Colchester after joining them as a youngster from non-league outfit Dulwich Hamlet, in the summer of 2004.

Elokobi helped the U's win promotion to the Championship in the 2005-06 campaign and made 46 league and cup appearances for them before leaving to join Wolverhampton Wanderers in January, 2008.

The powerful defender spent more than six years at Molineux and played in the Premier League, before playing for the likes of Bristol City and Nottingham Forest.

He made a return to Colchester in the summer of 2015 on a free transfer from Oldham Athletic.

Elokobi made nearly 50 appearances for the U's in a two-year period before moving on and joining Leyton Orient.

The 35-year-old is currently plying his trade as a player-coach at Maidstone United.

JOE DUNNE

DUNNE became a firm fans favourite at Layer Road after being signed by Steve Wignall in 1996 from Gillingham, where he began his career.

The Dubliner helped Colchester win promotion in the 1998 Division Three play-off final at Wembley.

He made around a century of appearances for the U's before being released by Mick Wadsworth, in 1999.

Dunne made a welcome return to Layer Road a few months later, after Wadsworth had been replaced by Steve Whitton in the hot seat.

He made a further 62 appearances for the U's before in April 2003, injuries sadly forced the popular full-back to retire at the age of 29.

Dunne remained at Layer Road, coaching in the youth set-up and the reserves along with caretaker stints in charge of the first team.

He became the club's permanent boss in 2012 and was in the U's hot seat for two years.

Dunne briefly returned to the club again last season to assist caretaker boss Wayne Brown, in League Two.