KURTIS Guthrie insists he has nothing to prove as he prepares to face his former club Accrington Stanley for the first time tomorrow.

The Colchester United midfielder made his professional debut with Stanley but was released by them in 2012, after spending only a year at the Crown Ground.

Guthrie made only six league starts for Accrington after arriving from Jersey-based club Trinity and plied his trade in non-league football, before joining Colchester earlier this summer.

The 23-year-old also faces his former boss John Coleman tomorrow but he stressed he has grown as a player, since leaving Stanley.

Guthrie said: “I don’t feel like I have a point to prove – the only point you have to prove is to yourself and that’s the way I’ll approach it.

“It’s been five years or so since I was there and I’ve moved on from there and so have they doing their thing.

“When I was there, the club didn’t have much money but now they have different owners and I suppose it’s going in a different direction.

“It was a long time ago now and to be honest, it was merely just a way for me to get over here and be playing.

“It’s just another team we’re playing against and another game and an opportunity to get three points.

“I feel like I’ve grown as a player and as a person since I was at Accrington.

“At Jersey, it was purely amateur and there was no competitive nature to it.

“So I’ve grown a lot and changed a lot and played in a few different positions since then, so I guess I’ve evolved.

“John Coleman is a good manager and he’s good at what he does.

“He’s a bit fierier than some of the other managers but there’s nothing wrong with that."

Guthrie believes Colchester are nicely placed in the League Two table, heading into their match against Stanley.

The U’s lie sixth and are just four points off leaders Plymouth Argyle, with eight games of the season gone.

“We’ve had a good start and everything is positive at the moment,” said Guthrie, who has started every league game for Colchester so far in this campaign.

“For myself personally, I’m happy to be playing and there’s no negatives whatsoever.

“We’re in a good spot and we’re nicely poised and placed.

“We’ve got to keep getting results and I’m sure people will slip up along the way and we can sneak ahead, which is the plan.

“If you can win your home games and pick up points away, there’s no complaints and I think we’ll definitely be there or thereabouts.”

Having joined Colchester primarily as a forward, Guthrie has played the majority of his games for Colchester in a central midfield berth.

The former England C international says he is relishing playing in the new role that he has been given by U’s head coach John McGreal.

He added: “I’m enjoying playing in midfield and I feel quite comfortable there.

“I like to be involved and I like to get on the ball and play, which I’ve been able to do.

“I’ve embraced it and I’m trying to make that position my own week in, week out.

“The first two games I played there, it was a bit about me finding out the position.

"But I feel comfortable there and I think I can get even more comfortable there.”