Ex-Colchester stars win big at Seniors World Cup

A group of former Colchester United footballers have described their joy at winning the Seniors World Cup.

Ex-captain Karl Duguid, Jamie Cureton and Greg Halford, who all starred for the U's in the early 2000s, jetted off to Thailand for the six-day tournament in June.

They beat France 4-0 in the final to scoop the prize on 6 June, having fended off Australia, the US, Taiwan and Thailand earlier on.

Cureton, 50, who has scored in all 10 of English football's top tiers, said: "Just being able to play is a blessing at my age. It's been a really good year."

The striker, who bagged 27 goals for Colchester and most recently turned out for non-league side Kings Park Rangers in Suffolk, scored in the final.

He added: "It's always really good to see familiar faces. Me, Greg and Dugs stuck together, so it was nice."

Speaking to BBC Essex Sport Extra presenter Warren Muggleton, Cureton said of their Colchester connection: "It helps you blend into the group."

The side, which was supported by the Football Association, also featured former England and Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry, as well as ex-Aston Villa player Karl Hendrie.

"We're all different characters and as an overall 20-man squad everyone blended together really well," Cureton said.

Duguid, who featured for the U's between 1995 and 2008, and also netted in the final, added: "The experience was unbelievable.

"It's just a little snippet of what it's like if you're playing in the World Cup for real."

The tournament was held in Ubon Ratchathani, a city on the Mun River in eastern Thailand.

There were eight nations competing.

Sides could not feature any players aged under-40, while the rules also dictated at least three players aged 50 or older had to be on the pitch at any time.

Halford, a U's player between 2002 and 2007, said: "It definitely helps having those [Colchester] connections and knowing how each other plays.

"It became a really close-knit group in such a short time so it was great. It was really great."

Do you have a story suggestion for Essex? Contact us below.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.