DIAZ Wright is eager to follow in the footsteps of other Colchester United players who have enjoyed recent loan spells at Braintree Town.

The 20-year-old midfielder has joined the U’s Vanarama National League South neighbours on a short-term deal and hopes the experience can propel him into head coach John McGreal’s first-team plans.

Wright feels Braintree can offer him the platform he needs to show he can step up from under-23s football after seeing Sammie Szmodics and George Elokobi benefit from productive spells at Cressing Road in recent years.

Szmodics, who is the U’s current leading first-team scorer, spent a month with the Iron in 2015 and Elokobi was there last season before returning to Colchester and becoming an integral member of the defence in the latter part of the campaign.

Wright, who impressed in Braintree’s 2-2 draw with Wealdstone last weekend, said: “I’ve been wanting this loan for a long time.

“Obviously I want to be playing first-team football at Colchester so to come to Braintree and finally be involved in games like we had against Wealdstone is great.

“It’s more real-world football - it’s what I’ve been wanting for a long time.

“I’d be happy to be here until the end of the season.

“When the Braintree move came up, I knew they were near the play-offs and being involved in that is something I want to do.

“I’d love to get a promotion under my belt and hopefully I’ll be able to take that with me.

“I’m now 20 and this is the football that I need to be playing and hopefully I can be knocking on the first-team door.

“Seeing other Colchester players come here and the way it benefitted them was another reason why it was such a good opportunity.

“Szmods (Sammie Szmodics) came here a couple of seasons ago and he’s been one of the first names on the team sheet for the first-team in the last few years and George (Elokobi) had a great time here as well, so that was another positive of coming to Braintree.”

Wright added: “I have been offered a new contract, but I haven’t signed it yet.

“I just want to concentrate on these games first.

“That’s why I have come here - I want to prove that I can handle men’s football and be sharp for the first-team squad either if this loan ends before the end of this season or for next season.”

U’s under-23s manager Wayne Brown agreed that the loan was a good move for Wright.

Brown said: “Ultimately, we want to get players in our first team and sometimes, if their pathway is blocked a bit by other players doing well in their position, we try to get them out on loan.

“Under-23s isn’t really appropriate for Diaz at this moment; he needs to go out and experience first-team football.

“It needs to be where it benefits him the most and the style of football that Braintree try and play does suit him.

“Getting him back in for the first team is very much the aim.

“Next year, hopefully he’ll be back in and around the first team.”