Academy second-year scholar Amir Berkane has been told he won’t be offered a professional deal by the Blues at the end of the season and is training with Colchester United’s U18s.

Midfielder Berkane, 18, impressed Mick McCarthy enough last summer to be involved with the first-team squad throughout pre-season and was on the bench at Stevenage as the Blues lost 2-0 in the Capital One Cup in August.

Kelvedon-born Berkane was with the Blues for eight years and U’s head of youth Tony Humes knows him well from his time in charge at Playford Road.

“Amir will have to come in and show that he’s worth giving something,” Humes told the Colchester Gazette. “But we’re always looking for players who meet the quality levels that we’re looking for.”

Berkane played for the League One side’s U18s in Saturday’s 9-2 victory over the MK Dons.

Meanwhile, the signed shirt which was being auctioned by academy schoolboy Ellis Murrell to raise funds for the St Elizabeth Hospice made £200.

Photo: Action Images

itfcjoe added 09:28 - Apr 1 Good luck Amir
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Old_Git_at_TRAINING added 17:21 - Apr 1 Yes, try and remain confident, keep challenging firmly in the tackle, keep mobile. So many players that Town have released have gone on to enjoy decent careers, not least my own town's Ed Upson who never played at Portman Road after scoring the winner from the bench in the YoofCup Final...until he returned, this season, with Yeovil. Good luck, young man.
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