COLCHESTER United would like more of their talented players to follow in Tom Lapslie’s footsteps and commit themselves to the club.

But U’s head coach John McGreal insists their ongoing League Two promotion push remains their main focus.

Lapslie signed a new contract with the U’s earlier this month, penning a two-year extension at the JobServe Community Stadium.

And promising 19-year-old defender Ryan Clampin also agreed new terms last week, bagging a fresh deal which will take him through to the summer of 2021.

Leading scorer Sammie Szmodics, along with the likes of Mikael Mandron, Tom Eastman and Dillon Barnes, are all due to see their existing contracts expire, this summer.

McGreal said: “I’m sure we’ll be looking at other boys’ (contracts) as well.

“But we’ve literally hit January and we’ve got more meaningful things to happen at the minute, which are things happening on the pitch.”

McGreal is pleased that academy product Clampin has extended his stay at Colchester.

The Colchester-born defender made his first team debut in the U’s Checkatrade Trophy game against Southampton U21s earlier this season.

“We feel as though Ryan is going to be a good player for us,” said McGreal.

“It’s unfortunate for him, because when you look at the early part of the season and the Checkatrade Trophy games he was in and around it and made his debut.

“But he’s just had injury after injury and it’s brought him back.

“I think at times he’s tried to come back a little bit soon so I think the medical staff have now taken that time for him to get himself properly right.

“He trained properly for the first time this week and we’re hoping that now he can build up his fitness.

“He’s another one who went out and played men’s football last year and has been in and around our first team early part of the season.”

Colchester are weighing up whether or not to allow striker Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe to go back out on loan, for the second half of the campaign.

The former Maldon striker has returned to the U’s following his loan spell at National League outfit Bromley, where he scored six times in 25 appearances.

Ogedi-Uzokwe has featured in Colchester’s last two under-23 games, in the Professional Development League.

McGreal added: “We’ll wait on a decision (on whether or not Junior goes back out on loan).

“He’s trained with us and has played for the under-23s.”