Agony For Colchester’s McLeod

Colchester United winger Kevin McLeod spent the whole summer physically preparing himself for a life of first-team contention in the Championship, only to fall victim of a suspected groin pull that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.

McLeod, who joined on loan from Swansea last summer, pulled out of action during the second half of Saturday’s draw with Barnsley, claimed he wanted to play much more this term. That aim looked to be transforming into a reality, with the wide left man involved fully in the season’s first two games.

After an impressive goal against Sheffield United on the opening day of his season, McLeod’s reflections on the 2006/7 season looked healthy in advance of matchday number two.

“I managed to make twenty-five appearances [last season],” said McLeod in an interview with the match programme U’s review before kick-off. “But that was nowhere near as many as I wanted to make when I first made the move here.”

Despite the whole team doing well collectively, McLeod, who has now inherited the number 14 squad number from the departed Richard Garcia, was unhappy with his own conurbation – and decided to do something about it during close-season.

“I did a lot of work in the summer off my own back because I felt the summer programme was just enough to keep the guys who were regulars ticking over. I did a lot of extra stuff that I knew who benefit me physically and lost a lot of weight.”

McLeod went on to say that he wanted to develop his game by improving his crossing and confidence when taking on opposing defenders with the ball at his feet.

After all that progression, with the article noting that McLeod played a part in every pre-season friendly, injury cruelly stuck at the weekend.