Cole Skuse

Skuse finished the season having made 29 starts in the league, as the club finished in 9th position, six points shy of the promotion play-offs.

In total, Skuse made 29 starts in the league that season, as well as starting all four cup games, as the club finished in 10th.

Cole Skuse (born 29 March 1986) is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.

He is currently the manager of Bury Town.

He started his footballing career at Bristol City, where he graduated from the club's academy and went on to make over 300 appearances in all competitions in a nine-year spell with the club.

As an academy graduate, Skuse was given his senior debut by player-manager Brian Tinnion as a substitute away at Colchester United on 19 February 2005.

He later described the moment as the best of his career.

He signed his first professional contract, a two-year deal, in April 2005, amidst interest from Premiership sides Charlton and Bolton.

Skuse started the last four games of the season, replacing Jamie Smith in defense.

The club was in contention for the promotion play-offs until a draw with Doncaster on the penultimate match-day.

Skuse spent the first three months of the 2005–06 season in the team of new manager Gary Johnson, but was in and out of the team the rest of the season.

He signed a new deal in January 2006, this time a four-year contract keeping him tied to the club until the summer of 2009.

Skuse scored his first goal for his club, a penalty in the 6–0 win over Gillingham on 18 March 2006.

His first goal from open play came the following week away to Rotherham.

Skuse began the 2006–07 season in the starting eleven, but was dropped after being substituted off at half-time against Blackpool on 19 August.

His next start came nearly two months later, setting off a run of 27 starts in 29 league matches.

The club finished the season in second place, earning their first participation in the second-tier in eight seasons.

Skuse made 42 appearances in the league, as well as 5 in the FA Cup, in which the Robins were eliminated in a fourth-round replay by Middlesbrough.

On 18 August 2007, Skuse received his EFL Championship debut, replacing Alex Russell in a draw with Blackpool.

His full debut came on 24 November in a defeat to Leicester City.

Skuse was used mostly off the bench in his first season in the Championship, making 25 appearances in the league, but just 5 starts.

However, Skuse had a run of four starts in March and April, replacing winter signing Nick Carle in the team.

In May 2007, Skuse was watched closely by Reading.

However, claims that Reading had made an offer for the player were dismissed by Bristol City, who had Skuse under contract until the end of the 2008–09 season.

The club finished the season in fourth, five points off an automatic promotion place, and lost in the promotion final to Hull, with Skuse absent from the squad.

At the end of the campaign, Skuse was tipped by many City fans to be voted as the club's young player of the year, but this was instead awarded to Nicky Maynard.

Skuse began the 2008–09 season in the team for the first time since the club's promotion to the Championship, and started the club's first nine games, playing both in midfield and at right-back.

After that, Skuse was out injured for nearly two months.

He returned to enter as a half-time substitute for Jamie McCombe against Nottingham Forest, but missed the next three games, before returning again on 8 December against Swansea City.

His first goal in the Championship came against Norwich on 7 February, and he scored again two weeks later against Reading.

After signing a new deal at City in summer 2009, Skuse scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season in a 1–1 home draw with Peterborough.

Skuse's second of the campaign, and sixth for Bristol City, came away at Leicester City, to help his team to a 3–1 victory.

He wound up making a career-high 43 appearances in the league, and started every match bar one after September, playing alongside Marvin Elliott in midfield.

Skuse was voted the club's player of the season for the 2009–10 season, as well as young player of the year.

At the time, only Matt Hill had won both awards in the same season.

He joined Ipswich Town on a free transfer in 2013, going on to spend eight years at Ipswich before departing in 2021.

He joined fellow East Anglian club Colchester United later the same year.

A defensive midfielder, Skuse also has experience at both right-back and centre-back.

He is also a PE teacher at St Joseph’s College, Ipswich.

After the season, new manager Steve Coppell offered Skuse a new extended contract until 2013, which he signed.