Former Bristol Rovers manager Ben Garner has been appointed head coach of League Two side Colchester United as he takes charge of his fourth club in just over three years.
Garner was dismissed by League One Charlton Athletic in December after taking the job at The Valley in the summer following a successful season with Swindon Town where he guided the Robins into the League Two play-offs only to lose to Port Vale in the semi-finals after a penalty shootout.
That was in the wake of his challenging spell at the Gas in which he took over from Graham Coughlan in December, 2019 and was tasked with reducing the wage bill and age of the first-team squad during the start of the pandemic, but results were not of the required level.
Garner was dismissed in November with Rovers 18th in the League One table, with a win record of just 25 per cent - six wins from 36 games - before Paul Tisdale and then Joey Barton took over as the Gas were relegated at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.
"A big attraction for me was the structure in place and the vision moving forward," Garner said . "I can't wait to get started and am looking forward to the opportunity.
"I think there is real potential. I think I'm taking the job at a really good time and right time in order for us all to move the club in the direction we want to go.
"This season is about making sure we stay in the division and making sure we are solid for next year, then it's about looking forward.
"We will be looking to improve things for next season, and will start working on that now - looking ahead to recruitment and where we want to take the squad. I think it will be exciting."
The 42-year-old, who was previously part of the backroom staff at Crystal Palace and West Brom under Tony Pulis, remains a well-respected coach, emphasised by the jobs he’s secured since and his success at Swindon, and he will now be tasked with guiding Colchester further away from the bottom regions of the fourth tier.
The Us lie 19th, nine points clear of the relegation zone, but are winless in their last three matches. Garner won’t take charge of their fixture against Bradford City this weekend but will start his new role from next week.
Colchester lost head coach Matt Bloomfield earlier this month when he departed to take over at Rovers’ League One rivals Wycombe Wanderers after their long-standing manager Gareth Ainsworth ended his 11-year reign to join QPR.
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