League Two side Colchester United are set to make their third signing of the summer in Ben Goodliffe, according to reports.
Playing at centre-back, the Watford-born defender played 30 times in Sutton United‘s fourth division campaign which saw them relegated on the final day due to Colchester’s 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra on the final day.
According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, the 25-year-old will join Danny Cowley’s side for next season after spending five seasons at Gander Green Lane, recording 190 appearances for the club and scoring eight times.
Last season saw the former Dagenham and Redbridge defender score twice against Morecambe and Swindon Town, both using his feet. He played 2,501 minutes across the league season and was yellow-carded nine times.
He joins goalkeeper Matt Macey and Harry Anderson in Essex after the latter made his loan move from Stevenage permanent. U’s have lost two key figures in Jay Mingi and Jayden Fevrier in moves to League Two champions Stockport County.
Goodliffe made 96 appearances in League Two across three seasons following the South London side’s promotion to the Football League in 2021 and will fill the void left by the departure of Thomas Dallison, who was released by the club following the conclusion of the season.
Colchester currently have three senior centre-backs in the squad following the publication of the retained list, with former Oxford United defender Fiacre Kelleher, Connor Hall and Mandela Egbo still contracted going into 2024/25.
A graduate of the Wolves academy, the 25-year-old has also played for Boreham Wood and Dagenham and Redbridge before joining Sutton.
Steve Morison’s side have made plenty of transfer moves in the window following their relegation to non-league in a quest to bounce straight back into the fourth tier. Eleven new players have arrived at the Amber and Chocolates so far, including Ex-Bradford City centre-back Tyler French.
Writer’s View
Colchester United were in a very precarious situation going into the end of last season with Sutton closing in on them before just falling narrowly short of surviving on the final day. The Cowley Brothers are very good managers for the level so should they get the correct players in they should stave the U’s away from any relegation concerns.
Ben Goodliffe is a decent centre-back for the level and will be a useful asset to the backline. Connor Hall and Fiacre Kelleher are likely to remain as the starting defenders but the experience that the 25-year-old will bring whilst still having room to grow makes this a good signing for the club.
1st Class Honours in Multimedia Journalism at Salford University. Writing mainly about League Two.
