FOR the fourth year running, Elliott Parish will spend his summer looking for a new club.

But the goalkeeper insists he can only look back at his ten months at Colchester United with fondness, despite it being tinged with both personal and collective disappointment.

Parish was recently one of a number of players to be released by the U’s, following the announcement of their retained list.

Of those who have been told their services are no longer required, many Colchester supporters regard him as being the unluckiest not to be awarded another contract by the club.

Perhaps that is an indication of how much Parish has progressed as a goalkeeper since he initially linked up with the U’s on trial, last July.

Signed initially on a one-year contract as a back-up following a successful trial period, he was thrust into the limelight when first-choice keeper Sam Walker suffered a serious season-ending knee injury in the first week of the season.

Parish ended up finishing the campaign as one of Colchester’s leading appearance makers having played 28 times, the most he has played for any club in his career to date.

The 26-year-old finished the season in good form but ultimately, it was not enough to keep the U’s in League One – or earn him a new contract.

Parish told the Daily Gazette: “When I came to Colchester, I didn’t have a full pre-season and I wasn’t fully fit.

“As a keeper, when you’re playing games week in, week out it really helps you.

“When I first came in, one of the first things I thought was “wow, these guys are so young”.

“I felt like the grandad of the group but then Darren Ambrose signed and changed all of that!

“It’s been an odd season.

“Initially I came in as cover but then with Sam (Walker) getting injured, the situation changed and it became apparent that they would need a new keeper.

“We didn’t make a great start to the season and we weren’t winning games.

“The start of the season was frustrating but I came back at Christmas and felt I played very well against Oldham, which helped my chances.

“It was a real surprise to be dropped for the game against Charlton in the FA Cup.

“But then I came back into the team and felt I put in some good performances, like in the games against Wigan, Bradford and Barnsley.”

Parish paid the price for Colchester’s disappointing start to the season.

With less than a month of the season gone he was dropped, with Jamie Jones replacing him between the sticks in September after being signed on loan from Preston North End.

But following Jones’ return to Preston, Parish re-established himself as the U’s first-choice keeper – until he was axed by Kevin Keen prior to their FA Cup third-round tie against Charlton Athletic in favour of new loanee Jake Kean.

“It was a funny one really – I got on really well with Kevin Keen,” said Parish.

“I thought he was an excellent coach.

“When you get dropped as a player, the first thing you want to do is take it out on someone.

“But he showed me a lot of respect and I couldn’t really be angry with him.

“My reaction was to tell him that I would be the better keeper here and that I would prove that to him and I think he quite liked my attitude.

“I have no regrets with him and I can only thank him.”

Undeterred, Parish battled for his place and less than a month after being dropped, he returned to Colchester’s starting line-up for their Essex derby against Southend United, at Roots Hall.

He did not look back after that, playing in all of the U’s games until the final day of the season, when injury prevented him from playing in the club’s final League One game against Rochdale.

Despite his trials and tribulations, Parish has said that he feels he is a better goalkeeper now compared to when he first arrived at Colchester, having been helped by goalkeeper coach Ademola Bankole.

Parish said: “Credit to George (Bankole) for maybe toughening me up – there’s a big difference to what I am now to what I was like at the start of the season.

“It took me a bit of a while to get used to George and for us to gel a bit.

“He’s the sort of character that you don’t come across every day but I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”

Parish also had complimentary words to say about the U’s loyal supporters, who have experienced a tough few seasons supporting the club.

He said: “It’s such a cliché but the fans have been so good – it would have been so easy for them to have jumped on our backs but they haven’t.

“At the places I’ve been at before, the fans have jumped on your back and that’s fair enough.

“But our fans are quite unique actually - they’ve been excellent.”

Parish has begun his search for a new club but despite being released by Colchester, the former Bristol City and Blackpool keeper certainly has no axe to grind.

“When I look at my time at Colchester United, I can only look at it fondly,” he added.

“It’s great to see Robbie Cowling running the club within its means and it has a great owner in charge.

“John McGreal is a good coach and I think the club is in good hands – I hope they do well next season.

“It was very enjoyable working there but the frustration will always be that we were relegated.

“Now I’m looking to the future - there’s nothing concrete on the table but I hope to get the right club and I’m looking forward to the next challenge in my career.”