New arrival - Ben Goodliffe has joined Southend United on loan
(Image: Lucy Copsey)
Southend United FC.
COLCHESTER United head coach Danny Cowley says Ben Goodliffe has joined Southend United on loan with the intention of the defender getting some game time under his belt.
The 25-year-old has signed for the Shrimpers until the end of the season and made his debut in their 2-0 victory at Dagenham and Redbridge, on Saturday.
Goodliffe, who joined the U's on a two-year deal from Sutton United last summer, has made 14 appearances for Colchester this season, with eight of them league starts.
However, the centre-back has found a starting spot hard to come by of late, with his last league start for the U's in the 0-0 draw at Fleetwood Town in November and Cowley says it was the right thing for Goodliffe to go out and play games.
Cowley said: "Sometimes when we look at footballers, we look at the 23-24 season, then we look at the 24-25 season and sometimes, you look at the calendar year.
"When I looked at the calendar year of 2024, he just hadn't played enough football and to play at his best, Ben's a boy that needs rhythm.
"Unfortunately, when he first came in, in the first game he did great but he got injured through no fault of his own at Wimbledon, with a horrible facial injury.
"Then he came off with a calf injury against Morecambe and more recently, against Fleetwood, so he hasn't had a run and Kells (Fiacre Kelleher) has come in and done brilliantly and has done everything we knew Kells would do, because he's a great kid.
"Central defence is about partnerships and relationships and having the right players play together.
"We would like to bring a left footer in because we need four in that position and it's such a specialist position.
"We just felt 'let's go and get him a run of games' and it'll be better for him.
"If he can get 20 games between now and the end of the season, then I think we'll be very pleased about that.
"There's a rivalry obviously between the two clubs but it's about doing the right thing by the player really and that's always at the forefront of our minds."