Steve Whitton has vowed to leave no stone unturned as he continues to run into a wall in his bid to strengthen Colchester United's Division Two squad.

Norwich City's Northern Ireland international stiker Adrian Coote is the latest player to turn down a move to Layer Road.

Whitton revealed he made a move to bring the 22-year-old Carrow Road trainee - currently not involved in City's First Division action - to the U's on loan.

But Norwich are reluctant to release the player even on a short-term deal.

"I'll just carry on looking," said the patient U's boss, who has already been turned down by former Ipswich Town striker Alex Mathie.

Whitton said: "I was on the phone all day yesterday Thursday, contacting clubs as far away as Bradford. But it appears that every club wants to keep their strikers, especially the Premiership clubs, unless you are prepared to part with a fortune to buy them.

"With Colchester not being a fashionable club it is not easy to attract players here at the best of times."

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