LUKE Chambers says entering English football’s all-time league appearance top ten is ‘beyond his wildest expectations’.

And the Colchester United defender insists he still has plenty more football ahead of him, after clocking up his milestone 779th game.

Chambers joined the likes of Peter Shilton, Tommy Hutchison and David James in the all-time list after featuring in the U’s 1-1 draw with Barrow.

The 37-year-old centre-back says he is proud of his achievement – and is hoping there are plenty more matches ahead of him.

Chambers said: “When I first started, to have ever achieved this many games is just beyond my wildest expectations.

“It’s been an amazing achievement; an amazing journey.

“It’s one that I don’t feel is over yet and I still feel I’ve got plenty of games left in me.

Gazette:

“My personal objective is to get as far up that table as I can really.

“I feel like I’ve got so much more to give the game and there’s no part of me that’s thinking of hanging my boots up.

“There’s plenty more that I can give and I think I’ve played every game this season, so far.

“As long as I feel I’m giving enough to the team and the group on and off the pitch then I’ll continue to play, as long as I’m wanted around.

 

“I’m not stupid; I know that clubs have their own ideas about how they want to go forward but I feel like I’ve given a lot of service to the club already in my 18 months here.

"It’s something that I want to continue, especially with what the gaffer’s building and my relationship with him and everyone at the club.

“I’m really enjoying my football, especially since the turn of the year and I think the group is fulfilling the potential I always knew we had.”

Chambers has made 84 league and cup appearances for Colchester since joining them in the summer of 2021.

Prior to that, he notched up nearly 400 games for Ipswich Town and more than 200 appearances for Nottingham Forest, having played 150 times for his home town club Northampton Town, in the early part of his career.

Gazette:

“I’ve had some unbelievable times,” said Chambers, who made his first-ever league appearance back in May, 2003.

“I’ve really felt valued wherever I’ve been but my relationship with the manager and the players at the moment, I’m really enjoying every day.

“I really look forward to going into work, I really look forward to games whereas for spells in my career, I haven’t looked forward to too many games at times.

“I think we have enough in our dressing room to really have a go at something here.

“I don’t want my career to finish this season; I don’t want it to finish here.

“While I’m adding value to the team and the club, I’d like to still be here moving forward.

“I’ve probably averaged about 45 games a season for about 20 years.

“A lot of that isn’t down to luck or personality; it’s because I’m quite a good footballer I think.

“I’ve never been my own biggest fan.

Gazette:

“I went up to Nottingham Forest for their semi-final against Manchester United the other night and when you go back to a club when you’re not directly involved and you feel the size of the club that you’ve played at and had such a big part to play there, it’s great.

“The gaffer mentioned it before to the lads and it was just one of those nice touches for me.

“I’ve been always everyone else’s biggest fan in every game and every day in training and it’s never been about me but I’m going to enjoy this and my achievement in the game, because no-one can ever take that away.

“There’s some unbelievable players on that list and at the end of the day, I’ve played for some very, very big clubs and captained those clubs.

“It’s been an unbelievable journey which for me, is nowhere near finished yet.”

Gazette:

Chambers helped Colchester claim a point in their draw with Barrow.

Kwesi Appiah scored a stoppage-time equaliser for the U’s to earn them a point, after Ben Whitfield’s header had put the visitors ahead.

Chambers added: “For a team like Barrow who are very dynamic, coming off the defeat they had in the week (at Carlisle) they were always going to respond.

“They’ve got a hell of a lot of legs in the team and the way they press and the way they play is very, very forward thinking.

“We’ve limited them to minimal chances and it’s a little bit of a misjudgment from us as a back three and there hasn’t been many over the last few weeks.

“The character showed again and I think we were always in the ascendency in the second half.

“I think their goal was against the run of play and we certainly got a head of steam up, in the second half.

Gazette:

“Yes we could have laid down and thought it wasn’t going to be our day after the penalty.

“Kwesi has been out for a while with an innocuous injury but what a huge player he has been for us and will continue to be for us.

“He should be very proud of himself.

“I just feel now that we’ve added such a threat, at the top end of the pitch.

“I don’t feel we’re going into a game and not score.

“That takes a lot of pressure off you as a defence and that’s not digging anyone out; that’s just the way I see it at the minute and we’ve got a lot of options.

“The defence hasn’t given loads away for a long time now and the boys have settled in brilliantly.”

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