Tony Ashby says being a director at Colchester United is an “honour”.

The U’s head of football operations, along with ex-U’s boss and current director of football Tony Humes, were appointed to the League Two club’s board last March.

Ashby and Humes played significant roles in helping Colchester’s academy rise to the Category Two status it currently holds, as part of the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

The pair now occupy positions on the U’s board and Ashby says it is a privilege to be a director.

Ashby told the Daily Gazette: “Colchester United is a very good club and to go from being an Academy coach which is where I started to being a club director is an honour.

“I think it was recognition for the effort and work that we’ve put in over the years in putting the academy together.

“There’s a natural blend between the two roles.

“I’m a bit more involved now with regard to looking and planning ahead to the future.

“It’s an interesting role being director – I deal with matters that are more business-related than when I was working within the Academy.

“Now it’s more about the operational side of the business as a whole rather than purely the first team or the academy and it’s more of a global role.

“I work closely with Robbie Cowling and Tony Humes and that’s enjoyable.

“Tony and I go back a long way and bounce things off each other quite a lot.

“We have good discussions about the direction of the club and I have the utmost respect for him.

“I’ve known him a very long time and you get to deal with things together.

“You won’t always agree on things but 99 per cent of the time, I think we do.”

Ashby says he is confident Colchester’s academy can continue to go from strength to strength, following another impressive season.

The U’s under-23 side, led by Wayne Brown, reached the knockout stages of the Premier League Cup and held their own in Professional Development League Two, alongside the likes of Watford and Crystal Palace.

In addition, U’s academy products made more than 200 first-team appearances between them, in the 2016-17 campaign.

“There were some big highlights for the academy, last season,” added Ashby.

“The under-23s went to Sunderland and won and beat Manchester City in the Premier League Cup – it’s been a really good season for those age groups.”