Brad Ihionvien left Colchester to join Peterborough United

Around 24 hours later, the promising young striker had departed the U’s and signed for League One side Peterborough United.

Football can move very quickly.

This time last year, Ihionvien had been enjoying a whirlwind start to the season for the U’s, acknowledging that it had be the one where he made the all important breakthrough into the first team.

READ MORE: Danny Cowley on Colchester's transfer window business

Fast forward 12 months and he is now preparing to shine for Posh, who have a reputation for spotting and recruiting bright young talent.

Ihionvien’s deadline day departure from Colchester came as a surprise for many of the club’s supporters, who were not expecting the youngster to be one of those moving on from the club, this summer.

It was also tinged with an element of sadness.

After all, the 20-year-old striker had shown his considerable talent in the 12 months or so he has featured for the U’s first team, following his elevation from the club’s academy last summer.

Ihionvien’s all-round promise has been there for all to see, which is probably why so many Colchester fans were so disappointed to see him go.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

But while there is perhaps shock at the timing of his departure, just a few weeks into the U’s first full season under the Cowleys, there is no real shock that the striker is moving up to a higher level.

The U’s know full well the rich potential Ihionvien has, with the two-year deal he signed at the club last October a case in point.

He is a young player who is confident in his own ability and struck up a good relationship with the supporters, always acknowledging them and the role they play.

Ihionvien has never been one to hide his passion, while watching Colchester’s games from the stands.

READ MORE: Colchester sign Anthony Scully on loan from Portsmouth

He could often be seen cheering and clapping along with the U’s fans at the JobServe Community Stadium as a youth-team player, watching the club’s first-team games.

For any sadness Colchester fans feel about Ihionvien’s exit, they should also take comfort in the fact that his departure is another example of how the club’s academy continues to nurture young, talented players.

Much like players such as Junior Tchamadeu, Kwame Poku and Sammie Szmodics who have gone before him, Ihionvien is a player who has flourished within the U’s set-up and shown enough of his quality to prompt a higher-placed club to pay for his services.

(Image: STEVE BRADING)

That money will almost certainly be reinvested into the first team and the academy, where it will contribute to producing more talented-grown players of the future.

Colchester will move on and continue to develop more young players to follow in Ihionvien’s footsteps, with Milton Oni the latest off the rank.

For Ihionvien, who names Erling Haaland as the player he most looks up to, it is now a time to shine and show all of his all-round attacking qualities.