COLCHESTER United boss John Ward named a 22-man senior squad at the close of the permanent transfer window on Tuesday.
Under new Football Association rules, all Premier League and Football League clubs must register a squad of no more than 25 players at the close of each transfer window.
Players that were under the age of 21 at the start of this calendar year do not need to be included in the squad as they are automatically registered, as will be any ‘emergency’ loans the club may make when the loan window opens again next Tuesday.
Football League clubs must include at least 10 ‘homegrown’ players in their squad (eight in the Premier League), the definition of which is a player who spent at least three years with an English or Welsh club before the age of 21.
Colchester United easily passed the above criteria, registering all 22 of their players aged over 21 at the start of the year.
Ward has included long-term knee injury absentees John-Joe O’Toole and Morten Knudsen in his list, with the pair both pushing for a pre-Christmas return, while Norwegian defender Knudsen is the only non ‘homegrown’ player.
– For more on Ward’s scouting mission, see tomorrow’s EADT
COLCHESTER UNITED’s 25-MAN SQUAD
Ben Williams
Mark Cousins
Brian Wilson
Marc Tierney
Magnus Okuonghae
Paul Reid
Pat Baldwin
John White
Matt Heath
Morten Knudsen
Kemi Izzet
Andy Bond
David Perkins
Lloyd James
Lee Beevers
John-Joe O’Toole
Ian Henderson
Ashley Vincent
Simon Hackney
David Mooney (standard loan from Reading)
Kayode Odejayi
Steven Gillespie
(Pro players aged under 21 on Jan 1)
Anthony Wordsworth
Medy Elito
Tom Bender
Ben Coker
Sam Corcoran
Carl Pentney
Michael Rafter
Plus scholars including: Craig Arnott, Bradley Hamilton, Freddie Ladapo, Trevor Ajim, Connor Cranmer, Jack Folan, Ross Gilfedder, Ryan Melaugh, Sean O’Sullivan, Tosin Olufemi, Shaun Phillips, Matt Redgrave, Jordan Sanderson, Mason Stewart.
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