COLCHESTER United keeper Dean Gerken has signed on loan for League Two club Darlington.Gerken has been out-of-favour since the arrival of experienced 35-year-old Jimmy Walker on loan from West Ham.
Carl Marston
COLCHESTER United keeper Dean Gerken has signed on loan for League Two club Darlington.
Gerken has been out-of-favour since the arrival of experienced 35-year-old Jimmy Walker on loan from West Ham. He has only played a couple of games since the end of November.
U's goalkeeping coach Ademola Bankole revealed: “I told him (Gerken) it is better for him to go out on loan rather than just sit on the bench here.
“No matter how well you train, you can't get better if you don't play.”
Southend-born Gerken has rattled up 104 league appearances for the U's. He was ever-present this season (with the exception of Johnstone's Paint Trophy fixtures) until the beginning of November. Mark Cousins will continue to be Walker's deputy against Cheltenham tomorrow.
Ironically, Gerken could well be up against one of his Colchester team-mates tomorrow. Striker Sunday Akanni-Wasiu signed on loan for Luton yesterday, and the Hatters are in action at Darlington this weekend.
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