Sammie Szmodics insists he is not thinking about a possible exit from Colchester United in next month’s transfer window.

The U’s leading scorer bagged a brace for the first time in his professional career to help the U’s to a 3-1 triumph over Exeter City.

Szmodics has now netted nine goals for Colchester this season, despite missing six weeks of the campaign because of an ankle injury.

The 22-year-old’s terrific form is generating interest from other clubs but the Colchester-born forward says he is concentrating on his football.

He said: “It’s always nice to hear but like all of the other boys, I just focus on playing.

“Everyone knows that the January window is coming up but not just me but all of the boys are just trying to help the team.

“I just want to keep scoring goals, keep playing well and helping Colchester get up the table.

“I’m not setting myself a goal target – my target is to keep getting minutes, having been injured for so long and goals are a bonus.

“My ankles are glass, they get taped together but thankfully there are no injuries and I’ll keep playing and scoring.”

Szmodics, whose shot was turned into his own net by Exeter defender Troy Archibald-Henville for Colchester’s opener, came agonisingly close to bagging a hat-trick late in the first half when his superb shot rattled a post.

The former Stanway School pupil said: “Every player would love a hat-trick but I’m going to be harsh on myself and say the first one was an own goal.

“I’d say it was one of my best performances for Colchester so far.

“My confidence was high and I felt like every time I had a shot, it would go in. It was nearly a hat-trick – I had to celebrate the first one just in case. My shot that hit the post was probably the best shot of them all and I was already off celebrating – I thought I’d scored!”

Colchester are now only out of the League Two play-off zone on goal difference and Szmodics says they are feeling upbeat.

He added: “We’d had two weeks without a game and we felt fresh and came in raring to go.

“Confidence is so high at the minute and we just have to keep producing performances like that at the back and up front and we can beat anyone.

“We showed our intention not just attacking-wise but defensively, too.

“We conceded which we were disappointed about but we were strong defensively throughout and we dealt well with what they had.”