Luke Prosser says he feels fit and ready to prove himself and play for his Colchester United future in the U's push for League Two promotion.

The 29-year-old defender has not seen first-team action since November 5, 2016 and has undergone two operations on a knee problem in the intervening 14 months, but he is ready to knock on manager John McGreal's door once again.

Having played 45 minutes of a friendly against Leyton Orient last week, he then came unscathed through almost 70 minutes of Colchester's Essex Senior Cup quarter-final defeat by Chelmsford City on Tuesday and wants to get back to League Two action now.

Prosser is out of contract at the U's at the end of this season and he wants to show his knee is strong enough to warrant a longer stay.

“I've been training more with the first team now, which is good after 13 months of watching them out of the window," he said.

“I don’t feel that far away now.

“There were spells against Chelmsford where I was blowing and I had to get back in but I feel as though I’m ready to knock on the manager’s door again now.

“Getting 70 minutes against Chelmsford was a good amount of time and there will be another game soon where I’ll get 80 or 90 minutes.

“I want to get back playing now.

“I came here to do a job but I have been out for 13 months and I haven’t done anything near what I want to do.

“I don’t know how many games are left but I want to play in them.

“That’s my aim.

“I’m out of contract in the summer, so I want to play games to earn a new contract.

“I have to prove to people that my knee is absolutely fine so I’m desperate to get back in and I’ll be knocking on the manager’s door, no doubt about that.

"The knee felt fine after the game (against Chelmsford) - I’d had 45 minutes on an artificial pitch the week before and if I can get through that then grass should be a walk in the park.

“It was just fitness really and getting minutes under my belt.

“I’ve been out a long time so it was good to play like that.

“I was blowing a bit towards the end but it was a good run out and a good test as that was real men’s football.

“It was the first fully competitive game I’ve had in 14 months.

“It was a long time coming but it felt good.

“The more I’ve been doing the better it has got really and I felt absolutely fine out there.

“That’s what I needed as it gives me confidence.

“I have been training every day for the last few months, but there weren’t the games I needed, but now games are coming, I can get minutes and build my fitness.

“I’m pleased with how it went."