Needham Market manager Mark Morsley has expressed his disappointment at Colchester United, over the U’s lack of communication with him over their interest in Kevin Horlock.

Horlock will help coach the U’s under-21s next season, a role that includes managing Maldon & Tiptree’s first team.

That announcement came just a couple of weeks after former Ipswich Town midfielder and ex-Needham academy coach, Horlock, was announced as Morsley’s assistant manager at Bloomfields.

Colchester responded yesterday, saying that Horlock only had a verbal agreement in place at Bloomfields and, having worked with the U’s under-18s, the natural progression for the former Northern Ireland international was promotion.

Morsley, who appointed Tom Rothery as his head coach is now on the search for a new assistant and will be speaking to a potential replacement soon.

“I am clearly disappointed that he (Horlock) has gone and disappointed that no-one at Colchester phoned me up,” said Morsley.

“That’s not the sort of thing we would have done if the roles were reversed.

“I can’t believe they (Colchester) did not know that we had appointed Kevin and you would have thought I would have heard from their chairman or someone who could have phoned, text or e-mailed me.

“We are not a professional club, but we are only one league away from professional football and it was Kevin who told me he had been offered the under-21s job.

“I obviously did not want Kevin to leave but I wish him all the best for the future.”

Horlock, meanwhile, is delighted with his new role.

“I’ve been at Colchester for about seven weeks now. I’ve enjoyed working with Wayne (Brown) and, with the previous manager leaving and the changes that have been made, the opportunity has arisen for us to work with the U21s,” he told the U’s official website

“It’s come a bit sooner than I imagined, but it’s a great chance for me.

“Management is something I am interested in. My time at (as manager) Chatham was a tough gig because we struggled to hold onto players with other clubs coming in for our better players, but it was an experience I really enjoyed.

“The time at Needham was also invaluable for me to learn about that level.”