Kit Symons has emerged as a possible contender for the vacant manager’s post at Colchester United.

Current caretaker boss Wayne Brown re-iterated his wish to be given the U’s post full-time, following yesterday’s last gasp 3-2 win over Altrincham in the FA Cup, and this result will have done his chances no harm at all.

Brown is again set to be in temporary charge for next Saturday’s key league match against bottom club Barnsley, after which chairman Robbie Cowling is hoping to make a permanent appointment.

But one interested spectator at yesterday’s game was fomer U’s assistant manager Symons, who was accompanied by his good friend, Chris Coleman, the Wales manager.

Symons, 44, actually had a spell as caretaker manager of Colchester in the autumn of 2008, following Geraint Williams’ departure.

A centre-half as a player, for Portsmouth, Manchester City, Fulham and Crystal Palace, Symons initially arrived at Colchester as Williams’ assistant in January, 2008.

He had wanted the job full-time, following Williams’ exit, and presided over two wins in five games as caretaker, but instead the post went to Paul Lambert.

Symons then had spells working in the Fulham Academy and as a member of the Welsh national coaching staff, before he became manager of Championship side Fulham in October, 2014.

Symons was sacked last month, so the U’s job might well be an attractive proposition for him.

Cowling had originally said that he wanted to make an internal appointment, as Tony Humes’ successor, but he gave himself some more time to consider his options by installing Brown as caretaker, with John McGreal as his assistant, last week.