Former Town midfielder Tristan Nydam has announced his retirement from professional football aged 22 due to the ankle injury he suffered during pre-season ahead of the start of the 2019/20 season.
The academy product broke an ankle and damaged ligaments in the friendly at Notts County and returning to the first team as a sub in the MK Dons home match in April last year, never fully recovered.
Zimbabwe-born, Colchester-raised Nydam joined Town as a nine-year-old and went on to make 14 senior starts and eight sub appearances before being released last summer.
In addition, he was capped by England at U18 and U19 levels and spent a spell on loan in Scotland with St Johnstone.
Nydam, who also operated as a left-back, broke the news of his decision to retire via a statement on social media.