Pat Baldwin is fighting fit.

And Colchester United’s out-of-contract defender is determined to ensure he is in the best possible shape for the new season.

The long-serving U’s centre-half - currently in talks over a new deal at the Weston Homes Community Stadium - is about to complete his summer weights programme.

Manager Paul Lambert wants to raise the intensity and fitness levels of his Colchester side in Coca-Cola League One next season.

After a week’s rest, Baldwin and his Colchester team-mates will embark on their own personal fitness regimes, as they continue to prepare for the forthcoming campaign.

Former Chelsea trainee Baldwin said the punishing summer workload has not posed a problem.

Baldwin told the Gazette: “It’s not been too bad.

“It’s not really anything new to me.

“Under (former manager) Phil Parkinson, we spent two summers at the end of the season doing a similar thing on our own, trying to get some core strength in the summer.

“We all have a week off from tomorrow and then we have three weeks, where we’ll go away and do our running, three days a week.”

Baldwin missed the start of last season after undergoing a shoulder operation.

He did not return to Colchester’s starting line-up until mid-October, by which time they were struggling near the foot of the table.

But under boss Lambert - who recalled Baldwin for his first game in charge at Stockport County - Baldwin never looked back.

He missed only one game for the U’s after that, helping them steadily climb the table.

“I was just glad to be fit again,” said the 26-year-old.

“The time I had out through injury was massively frustrating and I was glad to be back out there.

“Even when I first came back from my injury, I felt good.

“We had been conceding goals quite regularly and I felt like I could do a job for the team.”

Meanwhile, Baldwin admitted the U’s players have to take responsibility for their failings in the early part of last season.

He added: “We were massively disappointed with the season, from a team point of view.

“We let the last manager (Geraint Williams) down badly.

“We showed some good form under the new manager but as he has said, we just fell at the last hurdle.

“But I hope, with a few additions, we can do well next season.”

l Colchester defender Chris Coyne has been named in the Australia squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Qatar, Bahrain and Japan next month.

The 30-year-old yesterday joined up with the rest of Pim Verbeek’s squad at their Dubai training camp.