Heybridge Swifts striker Kris Lee is a week into pre-season training with Nationwide League Division Two side Cambridge United and is in the best shape of his life.

Lee, 22, is training with United in a bid to earn a professional contract.

"The first week was tiring," he said. "But it's better than going to work every day."

Lee works for an insurance company in his home town of Colchester, but they have given him time off to pursue his goal.

"They've said the door is open if it doesn't work out at Cambridge, but that's not something I'm thinking about at the moment."

Lee's bid for a full-time contract even had an impact on his summer holiday.

He explained: "I went on an all-inclusive trip to Majorca, but I couldn't really take advantage of the free beer because I was in training."

Of his Cambridge regime he said: "It's like a boot camp, but I'm enjoying it and I've lost half a stone already. I'm just going to keep on doing what I can to impress the management."

Lee may have his work cut out as manager John Beck is apparently looking at 14 trialists, some of them with professional experience.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.