The January transfer window opened on New Year's Day and three players have had their exits from Cambridge United confirmed.

On Friday, former captain Danny Brown left the club by mutual consent. He has been on loan at Eastbourne Borough since November, and he signed a permanent contract with the Blue Square Premier side following the expiry of his loan on New Year's Day.

Although they are part-time, 28-year-old Brown revealed this week that he turned down offers to return to full-time football with Chester City and Kettering Town, and he will maintain full-time training with a mixture of work on his own, extra sessions with the head coach, and Tuesday and Thursday training at the club.

Essex-based Brown was the first signing for previous manager Jimmy Quinn in November 2006 and he made 47 league appearances, scoring twice.

Also leaving the club on the same basis is striker Lee McEvilly, whose loan spell at Rochdale expires on Tuesday 6th January, when he will make the move permanent. The 26-year-old joined Rochdale last month for the third time in his career, and has scored twice in four appearances.

He joined United on loan in mid-January last year and made the move permanent in the summer, scoring five league goals last season and eight this season, but with his family still based in Merseyside he was glad of the chance to return to the North-west.

'Macca' will probably be best remembered for coming off the bench to score the free kick and penalty at Burton that levelled the play-off semi-final first leg at 2-2 and reopened the door for our Wembley appearance two weeks later.

Finally, goalkeeper Steven Drench's  loan from Southport has ended. The 23-year-old former Morecambe stopper made just one appearance, in the 4-3 defeat in the Setanta Shield at Telford in November.

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