Former Blues midfielder Cole Skuse has been named the manager of Isthmian League North side Bury Town having retired from professional football at the end of his Colchester United contract.
Skuse was with Town between July 2013 and the summer of 2021, making 268 starts and 10 sub appearances and scoring twice.
The 37-year-old, who started his career with hometown club Bristol City, has spent the last two seasons with the U’s but has now opted to hang up his boots.
The midfielder has also been coaching at Ipswich’s St Joseph’s College and on Wednesday was at Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium to see their women's team become the ESFA U18 Women’s Super League Final Champions.
Skuse told the West Suffolk club’s official website: "I am really looking to forward to joining Bury Town and meeting the players and staff.
"Having left Colchester United at the end of my contract, I am now ready to start my first job in management and excited to get started.
"The planning for the new season starts now and I will be speaking to all the current players in the coming weeks and we will also be sitting down to identify new targets. I look forward to meeting all the supporters at the pre-season friendlies.”
Bury Town chairman Russell Ward added: "After a long process we are delighted that Cole has accepted our offer to become our new manager.
"This will be Cole's first managerial appointment and I know that he is keen to get started and we look forward to working with him.
"There is a lot of potential here and the board feel that appointing someone with the professional experience that Cole has will benefit the whole club.”
Ex-Blues striker Alan Lee, now a director at Bury, continued: "This has been a long appointment process but I am very pleased with the outcome.
"I know Cole is excited to get started in management and in my view this is a great place for him to start.
"I know our supporters will be excited ahead of the new season. From our initial discussions I knew that he was the right fit for the job here and we are ready to support him fully to help achieve success for the club in the coming years.”
Former Stowmarket Town manager Paul Musgrove has been named Skuse's assistant.