Norwich third choice goalkeeper Jake Kean has joined League 1 side Colchester United on a 28-day loan deal, the club have said.

Kean was signed by Alex Neil as a back-up option to John Ruddy and Declan Rudd, following the departure of the experienced Mark Bunn and Carlo Nash who were both released by the Norfolk club.

However, the impressive form of Rudd and the Premier League experience of Ruddy has meant Kean is yet to make a first-team appearance, settling for 5 appearances with the Under 21s side.

His new team will be very keen for the ex-Blackburn keeper to have an impact for the Essex side, who haven’t won a league game since October and are second bottom.

Colchester will need to stop conceding goals if they are to have any hope of avoiding relegation, after a dreadful run of 9 defeats in their last 10 games and seen them fall to 5 points from safety. They survived the drop last season in dramatic fashion with a final day win over now-Championship side Preston.