DAGENHAM & Redbridge FC have won a battle for compensation over a player they nurtured, and who then walked out to another club.

Last week, a Football League tribunal ruled that League One Colchester United must pay £45,000 to League Two Daggers over the move of Magnus Okuonghae.

As well as that, the Victoria Road club will receive a portion of any future transfer fee for defender Okuonghae.

Colchester will also pay £5,000 for every 15 games he plays, while there will be extra if the team achieve promotion.

The Professional Football Compensation Committee originally delayed its decision.

This week, Daggers’ managing director Stephen Thompson said: “I was extremely delighted with the level of compensation that the committee agreed upon.”

The ruling is timely for the club as three of their best players departed this summer, and not a penny went into the coffers.

Sam Saunders, Ben Strevens and Danny Foster joined newly-promoted League One Brentford.

Thompson praised the tribunal for the way it can ensure smaller teams are not left empty-handed when young players they have developed depart for new clubs.

U’s chief executive Steve Bradshaw said: “The process was productive and the whole procedure was run very professionally. Colchester United would like to thank the Football League and Dagenham & Redbridge for their open and honest approach during the whole process.”

The Daggers travel to the hub of this summer’s football activity on Saturday, when they take on former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson’s latest venture, Notts County.

The Swede was appointed director of football, and he has proved to be something of a lucky charm, with the team storming to the top of the League Two table after two successive wins.