Ben Garner Statement

STATEMENT RELEASED ON BEHALF OF BEN GARNER:

"It has been a privilege to manage Colchester United and I would like to thank the fans for your incredible support during my time in charge.

"I will not forget the welcome you gave me and we have shared some memorable performances and results together.

"I also want to show my gratitude to Robbie Cowling and Dmitri Halajko for giving me the opportunity to be Head Coach.

"When I joined the club, the immediate task was avoiding relegation and together we accomplished that objective. The next target was changing the profile of the squad and the playing style, which came with challenges such as injuries and building momentum, but this team has a great deal of potential and the foundations are now in place for it to continue to progress with the number of young players that have been developed, transfer income generated and the retainment of talent on long-term contracts.

"We have also made a number of improvements behind the scenes and I would additionally like to thank my coaching staff, club employees and the players for all of their efforts and commitment.

"I sincerely wish Colchester United every success for the future."