Cole Skuse: Colchester midfielder retires from playing to take up manager's job at Bury Town

Cole Skuse played more than 600 league games in his career with the bulk of them at Bristol City and Ipswich Town

Colchester United midfielder Cole Skuse has left the club to take over as manager of non-league side Bury Town.

Skuse, 37, has been with the U's for the past two seasons after spending eight years with Ipswich Town and made 27 league appearances this season.

Bury play in the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.

Colchester have also released 14 other players, including defender Luke Chambers and former Republic of Ireland midfielder Alan Judge.

Chambers, 37, reached the top 10 for the most appearances in English league football in February and played 48 games in 2022-23.

Judge, 34, only made 18 appearances after suffering a serious knee injury in December.

"Alan Judge is very unfortunate as his bad injury has kept him out of the second half of the season. However, he is working very hard with our medical team to get back playing," said sporting director Dmitri Halajko.

"We will still be seeing plenty of him at the club while we help him back to full fitness."

Wales international Emyr Huws, striker Freddie Sears and defender Tommy Smith, who played at the 2010 World Cup for New Zealand, are also on the list of those leaving the U's, along with long-serving midfielder Tom Eastman.

Colchester have taken up options to extend the contracts of nine players including Noah Chilvers and Ossama Ashley, who made 48 and 35 appearances respectively this season as Colchester finished 20th in League Two.

Skuse, who has retired from professional football following the end of his contract at Colchester, said he feels "ready" to start his first management job.

Bury Town finished 11th in the 20-team Isthmian League North Division this season.