LUKE Chambers admits he never imagined he would play as many games in his professional career as he has after clocking up a special milestone.

The Colchester United defender racked up his 800th game in his side's defeat at Forest Green Rovers, on Tuesday night.

Chambers made his senior debut for Northampton Town, back in May, 2003.

The 36-year-old has gone onto achieve success at the likes of Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town - and admits reaching such a landmark was never on his radar.

Chambers said: "I'm still feeling very fit and strong.

"I'm enjoying playing, so it's another milestone.

"You start to look at records and how many people have played more than that.

"I think there are only five or six players in the Football League who have played more.

"It's something I can be very proud of.

"When you first start, you're just like 'can I get to 25 games, 50 games, 100 games' - it's never on the radar.

"When I take a bit of reflection and look back on the games that I've played, 800 is just something I couldn't have even imagined when I started as a 17-year-old at Northampton Town.

"I've had some success in my career and I'd like to think that I'm passing that experience onto my team-mates, especially a lot of the younger boys here.

"They seem to bounce off me quite a lot and it's a privilege to be playing with some of the young boys who are beginning their career when it seems like yesterday, I was starting mine."

Gazette:

Colchester head into their crucial home match with Barrow this weekend lying three points above the League Two relegation zone.

The U's have lost four games in a row and defender Chambers says it is up to them to get out of the predicament they are in.

"It's easy to point fingers - people can blame whoever they like and we're in the blame culture in society these days," said Chambers.

"It's our job to keep a clean sheet together, it's our job to score together, it's our job to get ourselves out of the mess we're in.

"I do believe there's plenty enough in there, we just need to score the chances when they come our way and keep them out and not switch off at key moments in games.

"We're trying to get out of the mess we're in.

"We created enough but that's been the story of our season from start to finish, at the moment.

"This isn't me putting blame on anyone but we have to take our chances, whether that be myself, defenders from set pieces, midfielders, strikers.

"We have to take them - we're creating chances and getting ourselves into good positions.

"Goals change games. It's a common saying that everyone uses but it couldn't be any more simpler."

Gazette:

Colchester were beaten 2-0 at League Two leaders Forest Green, to tumble to a fourth successive defeat.

Goals from Jamille Matt and Josh Marsh condemned the U's to another away loss, at the Fully Charged New Lawn.

Chambers added: "The scoreline is 2-0 but it doesn't tell the story of the game.

"The positive is that we have created loads of chances.

"When you go 1-0 down against a top of the table side, it's always going to be a tough game.

"I think we showed the character but we lost the game.

"It could have easily have gone the other way - we could have nicked a point or won the game had we scored at a key moment.

"That's the little bit of detail we're missing at the minute.

"It was similar at Sutton in the cup and we probably should have got something from that game too.

"But we can't keep saying the same thing over and over - we have to change something quickly.

"It seems to be that we need a kick up the backside to get started."