Colchester United have appointed Paul Smith as their Head of Academy Goalkeeper coaching.
Paul enjoyed a successful playing career with Brentford, Southampton and Nottingham Forest and, most recently, at Southend United.
After two years at Roots Hall, the 37-year-old will now move to the north of the county to help the club's younger goalkeepers make their way in the game.
Academy Manager Jon De Souza said: “We have appointed someone who we believe is absolutely the right fit to push our goalkeepers from the Academy into the first team.
“We were looking for someone who had the right balance between playing and coaching experience, and we wanted to make sure took our time to find that person.
“With Paul’s playing experience over many years and the coaching he has been doing during his time at Southend, we believe he is the ideal person to do that job.
“Paul also stood out because he is keen to really develop and build his coaching career and we believe he will become an excellent coach for our young goalkeepers.”
We'll have more from Paul soon about his switch to the U's and his hopes in his new role.
Picture courtesy of Southend United FC