NEW Colchester United head coach Steve Ball has vowed to stamp his personality on the club - and says there will be "no holding back" in terms of taking the U's forward.

The 50-year-old was officially unveiled at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

He was previously assistant manager to John McGreal, who parted company with the club earlier this month.

Now Ball has been given the opportunity to shine in his own right and it's a chance he intends to grab with both hands.

He said: "I'm extremely proud.

"I've been here a long time and the town means a lot to me. I was born here and played for the club in a couple of spells.

"I've coached here for over ten years now, too, so to now be named first-team head coach is a big achievement and I'm delighted.

"Working towards this has been brilliant and I do feel I've served my apprenticeship.

"I've enjoyed every minute of coaching and working with our group here, seeing some really good players come and go like Sammie (Szmodics), Frankie (Kent) and Kane (Vincent-Young).

"You're always going to have your own ideas.

"As a number two, you can have your own opinions but ultimately the head coach will go his own way.

"That's a real positive for me in terms of some of the things I've seen and worked on and I'm looking forward to that side of the job.

"I'm looking forward to moving the club forward.

"This is the where the work starts, though, and, having got to this point in my career, it's about kicking on now.

"There's no holding back and that's really key, because I want to move the club forward."

Ball revealed that he has been in close contact with ex-boss McGreal and the pair met on Sunday night.

He says the former defender has been entirely supportive in terms of him taking the role.

"He's a great guy and we had a very positive chat," said former Stanway Rovers and FC Clacton boss Ball.

"He wished me all the best and there aren't any issues at all.

"When you work with someone for four years, you build that trust and he's been great."