Rene Gilmartin has been handed a player-coach role by Colchester following his release from Watford.
The 30-year-old keeper did not play a single first-team match in his three-year period with the Hornets, having featured just twice previously for Watford during a previous spell at Vicarage Road between 2010 and 2012.
But Gilmartin, whose last senior appearance came for St Patrick’s Athletic in his native Republic of Ireland in 2014, is likely to be No 2 to Sam Walker, as well as his coach, at Colchester following the departure of Dean Brill from the club.