Colchester United manager Joe Dunne has revealed the reasons behind his decision to release Ian Henderson, Michael Rose and Tom Bender.

The trio have all left the Weston Homes Community Stadium after having their contracts cancelled, as U's boss Dunne reshapes his squad.

Dunne believes it was the right time for Henderson, Rose and Bender to have a fresh challenge at another club.

He said: "I think they need to go out and find careers for themselves.

“We’ve tried to be fair and I believe there are times when players need to go out and find opportunities elsewhere.

“We’ve tried to help them and I believe they would benefit from moving to another club."

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