KEVIN Keen is set to return to Colchester United tonight for the first time since leaving as their manager.

And the former U’s boss will do so having made his mark during his time at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, according to defender Alex Wynter.

Keen is now part of Crystal Palace’s first-team coaching set-up and is expected to be in the dugout when the Premier League side come to town for their pre-season friendly at Colchester (kick-off 7pm).

The 49-year-old left his position as U’s manager last April after four months in charge, following the club’s relegation to League Two.

But ahead of Keen’s first return to the Community Stadium, his former defender Wynter says he had a positive influence on him during his brief time at the helm.

Wynter told the Daily Gazette: “I got on well with Kevin – he was a great coach and he helped me improve a lot so I’ve only got good things to say about him.

“He came to me before the Spurs game and said he wanted to offer me a new contract, so I’m grateful for that.

“It’s never nice to see anyone leave but we did our best for him when he was here.

“As a player, you try and take something from every coach that you play under and carry on improving – every coach should be able to add something.”

Wynter is set to take on his former club tonight, having spent more than a decade at Palace before leaving them to join Colchester on a permanent basis in January, 2015.

The talented defender could come up against his younger Ben, who is an under-21 player at Selhurst Park.

“It’ll be a strange experience if that happens,” said Wynter, who made two senior appearances for the Eagles.

“We’ve never played against each other before – well, apart from in the garden when we were kids!

“A lot of my family are Crystal Palace fans and I hope some of them will be at the game.

“I was there from the age of nine to the age of 21, so 12 years is a long time.

“But the year when I was kind of at the age to make the breakthrough, they got promoted.

“It was a great day and a great achievement but at the same time, I knew that the club would be moving onto bigger and better things in the Premier League.

“There’s still quite a lot of people there from when I was there, some of the first-team and under-21 squads and also coaching staff too.

“I owe Crystal Palace a lot and it’s a great club to be involved with.”