U’s Make Lockwood Bid

Colchester United have made a bid of £100,000 for Nottingham Forest defender Matt Lockwood, according to BBC Radio Nottingham.

Forest are believed to have accepted a bid from the U’s for the 31-year-old. The U’s are yet to talk to Lockwood, who has made only 12 appearances this season.

Lockwood operates as a left full-back, and is also known as a dead-ball speciallist. He started his career as a trainee with Queens Park Rangers in 1995, but failed to make a first-team appearance. He made his first senior impact at Bristol Rovers, making 58 league appearances for them. In 1998 Lockwood moved East to Leyton Orient, where was an integral part of the team.

In 2006, FourFourTwo magazine named Lockwood as the 47th best player outside England’s top-flight. In September of that year Lockwood scored an incredible hat-trick for O’s, despite playing defence, against Gillingham. Essex-born Lockwood was Orient’s leading goal-scorer that campaign, netting an impressive 11 goals. He was named in the PFA League One Team of the Year for 2006-7. Overall he played 375 times in his nine year tenure with the O’s, scoring 50 goals.

In July of last year he activated release-clause in his contract at Brisbane Road, as he signed for Forest for an undisclosed fee. Lockwood warmed the bench for most of the campaign as Forest won promotion to Championship.

Vital Colchester will keep you up-to-date if anything else develops.