Phil Parkinson has described his time at Colchester United as a “great learning curve”.

The club’s former boss is heading back to north Essex tomorrow with his Bradford City side.

And although it will be the Weston Homes Community Stadium he visits rather than Layer Road, Parkinson says he will never forget cutting his managerial teeth with the U’s.

“We had no facilities at all when I was there but it was a great learning curve for my first management job,” said Parkinson, who was in the Colchester hot-seat from February 2003 until June 2006 and famously steered the club to promotion to the Championship.

“It was fantastic experience and it’s stayed with me through my career so far.

“I know what Colchester’s all about.

“Geographically it’s a little bit out the way and they don’t pay the wages (of other clubs).

“They can’t get the crowds to generate to compete in wages but what they can do is get the structure as strong as possible for young players.

“The chairman there has put a lot of money into the youth system and built the training ground.

“They are slowly reaping the benefits of that but it takes time.

“(Former U’s boss) Joe (Dunne) paid the price for that but the chairman said that Mark Kinsella and him had done a good job to keep them in the division when they parted ways.

“I know it’s hard having managed there myself.”

Parkinson went on to manage at Hull and Charlton before taking the reins at Bradford, who he guided to the League Cup final in 2013.

And he has warned that his side must be on top of their game against Colchester.

“We can’t afford to carry anybody - there will be no passengers at all,” he said.

“Colchester beat Orient 2-0 and were two-up against Sheffield United.

“We know they’ve got good footballers and are a decent, young team.”

Bradford head south in good heart, on the back of a 2-1 victory at MK Dons on Tuesday night.

It halted a run of three straight defeats - two in League One and one in the JP Trophy.

In contrast, Bradford started the season brightly with five wins in seven games during August.

Coventry, Crawley and Rochdale were among their scalps and another big highlight was a victory against West Yorkshire rivals Leeds, in the Capital One Cup.

Former U’s favourite Mark Yeates and loanee Billy Clarke could feature against their old side but top-scoring striker James Hanson has been ruled out with a thigh strain suffered in the warm-up against the MK Dons.

Another former Colchester player, goalkeeper Ben Williams, is likely to be among the substitutes, with Jordan Pickford currently the preferred number one.

For a three-page preview of the U's game with Bradford City, see Friday's Daily Gazette.