WILL Greenidge wants to hit the ground running next season after finishing the current campaign in Colchester United’s starting line-up.

The 21-year-old started the U’s final four games of the 2022-23 campaign, having had to wait patiently for his starting opportunities prior to that after joining the club from West Ham United in the January transfer window.

Greenidge is looking forward to his first full season in the EFL with Colchester, after making ten league appearances for them in the 2022-23 campaign – and believes having a pre-season with the club will be beneficial.

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Greenidge said: “On a personal note, it’s been good.

“I feel like I’ve played well when I’ve played and obviously I’ve had a consistent run, in the same position.

Gazette:

“I’m happy with how I’ve finished the season and hopefully I can take that on and keep impressing the manager and really make this position my own.

“It’s hard to keep a flow if you’re not playing or if you’re playing in different positions.

“But once I started playing in one position and started building, I became more confident and I feel that’s shown in my performances.

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“It was obviously a tough time to join, in a relegation scrap and a lot going on at the club.

“But to have a full pre-season with the team will be beneficial.”

Greenidge has already shown his versatility for Colchester, playing as both a right-back and right wing-back for the club.

The young defender is also capable of playing as a left-back or left wing-back, along with at centre-half.

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“Right-back, right wing-back but I like to join in with the attacks and get forward but defend first,” said Greenidge, who joined Colchester on a two-and-a-half year contract from West Ham.

“Wherever the manager wants me to play, I’ll play.”

Colchester are looking to compete at the top end of the League Two table next season, having battled against relegation in this campaign.

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Ben Garner is aiming to assemble a squad capable of competing for promotion and Greenidge is looking forward to what is ahead.

“We’ll go away and have a good break and then come back in pre-season,” said Greenidge.

“Obviously there’ll be a few changes in the squad.

“We’ve started building with the new gaffer and we’ll continue to do that, coming into pre-season.

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“Hopefully we’ll keep pushing on.

“With the group we have and if we add to that, who knows what next season will hold, so it’s exciting times.”

Meanwhile, Greenidge says he benefited hugely from playing alongside Luke Chambers, in his first few months at Colchester.

Chambers was one of a number of senior players released by the U’s when they announced their retained list, earlier this month.

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He added: “Chambo was brilliant since I came in.

“He was always been there on my shoulder, in the changing room, always supporting me and to play on the pitch next to him, I couldn’t ask for anyone better to get me used to men’s football.

“I’m really grateful for everything he’s done.”