WAYNE Brown admits the chance of Colchester United making loan signings will depend on a number of ‘variables’ this summer.

The U’s benefited from the contribution of a host of loanees last season, with the club making a total of eight such signings during the course of the 2021-22 campaign.

The likes of Owura Edwards, Sylvester Jasper and Sam Hornby all impressed for Colchester while on loan at the JobServe Community Stadium - but head coach Brown says the U’s making new loan signings will depend on a variety of different factors, this summer.

Brown said: “There’s a lot of variables when you head into that loan market.

“Have you missed out on permanent signings and if you have, do you go down the loan route or does a loan option come along that you can’t really turn down?

“It just depends on what stage we’re at with recruitment and what sort of targets we achieve, to get over the line and if there are any that come along that we feel are really going to benefit us and that we can’t turn down.”

Brown has reiterated that Colchester will give more opportunities to their academy players this season – but only if they deserve it.

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A host of the U’s youngsters such as Chay Cooper, Gene Kennedy and Donell Thomas have recently extended their contracts with the club and will be looking to establish themselves in the first-team squad, in the 2022-23 campaign.

Brown said: “You always want to keep hold of your potentially very good players and they’re real assets to the football club.

“They’ve got a real value to us in the first team and can add some real quality, when needed.

“It’s the way that the club has worked in previous years and going forward, opportunities will be given to lads that do progress and do improve and make the level, in the first-team environment.

“That’s been proven with the likes of Noah and Junior in the past and the three young lads made their debut in the last game of the season, with Chay scoring on his debut.

“We will give opportunity to people that deserve opportunity and people who we feel are good enough and improve enough to make the grade.

“I’m not in the business of just giving people games if they’re not ready or they haven’t earned the right.

“It’s definitely something that we need to keep persisting with and we need to keep improving our youngsters and get them at the level where they can come into the first team and make a real difference.

“That will be the aim.”

Colchester will host Championship side Millwall at the JobServe Community Stadium in a pre-season friendly on Friday, July 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).

They will also travel to play National League South outfit Ebbsfleet United in another friendly on Saturday, July 23 (kick-off 3pm).