Kevin Lisbie will be kicking off the new Coca-Cola League One season with Colchester United - unless the club are ready to sell him.

The former Charlton Athletic striker, who netted 16 goals for the U's last season as they dropped out of the Championship, told the Gazette: "Right now I'm a Colchester United player and I'm looking forward to kicking-off in the new Weston Homes Community Stadium.

"I drive past it every day to go to the gym and it is looking very impressive."

But the 29-year-old Jamaican international, who still has two years to run on his existing contract, said: "I can't guarantee anything.

"If another club comes in for me and the two teams agree a fee, who knows where I could be by the time the season gets under way.

"But it would have to be a southern club because there's no way I would move up north to a Burnley, Huddersfield or Barnsley.

"I sat down with the manager and chairman at the end of last season and said I would only move to the right southern club because I have no wish to uproot my family."

There has already been speculation linking Lisbie with U's East Anglian neighbours Ipswich Town as they step up their search for a new striker.

But Lisbie rubbished those reports and stressed: "I haven't spoken to anyone and I'm not just going to up and leave for any old club.

"We start pre-season training at Colchester on Monday and if anything was going to happen I believe it would have happened by now.

"Clubs like to get their new players in before pre-season and I doubt there will be much movement anywhere now."

But Lisbie had some positive words of encouragement for the U's fans.

He said: "When I first signed for Colchester I told the manager I would score a lot of goals if I played a full season - I did that.

"And if I do stay on, hopefully I will score a lot more now we will be playing our football down in League One."