LUKE Prosser says he ‘loved every minute’ of being Colchester United’s captain.

The 32-year-old joined Stevenage this week, after leaving the U’s following a four-year spell at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Prosser served as Colchester's club captain in that time and says he relished his time as the club's skipper.

Prosser said: “Being club captain was always something that I really wanted to do.

“I loved every minute of it.

“To be given the opportunity by John McGreal and Bally (Steve Ball) was key.

“I’ve always had a good relationship with the fans.

“It probably wasn’t easy for them initially when they saw that someone had signed from Southend and then to be made captain – I get that!

“But they took to me really well, especially after sticking with me after my injury.

“Hopefully I repaid them with my performances and I loved every minute of being captain.

“It’s a fantastic club and I wish everyone all the best for next season and the future.

“If I could ever come back in few years’ time, possibly coaching, you never know what could happen in the future.”

Prosser made more than 100 league appearances for Colchester during a four-year spell at the JobServe Community Stadium.

He helped the U’s reach the League Two play-offs last season, along with the Carabao Cup quarter-finals which saw them beat Spurs and Crystal Palace and take on Manchester United, at Old Trafford.

Prosser was one of four senior players told by the U’s in April that their contracts would not be renewed, in the wake of the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prosser added: “I loved my time at Colchester and it was sad for it to come to an end.

“I wish Bally (Steve Ball) and the boys all the best.

“I’ve spoken to quite a few of them already and hopefully, they have a really good season.

“I’d never had a serious injury in my career and then to be out for 18 months in my first year was tough.

“My daughter was born around that time so that sort of took my mind off football at that time, to be honest and then I came back and signed a new deal.

“Last year was disappointing with what happened with the play-offs but there were so many positives to take.

“We reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup – no-one would ever have expected that.

“To play at Palace and beat them, beat Spurs and then lead the boys out as captain at Old Trafford was amazing.

“You couldn’t write it really so to experience that and have those memories not only for myself but for the fans was fantastic.

“Ideally, the dream ending would have been sending the club up into League One and bowing out that way – that was the dream but there were still a lot of positives to take from last season.

“There are young players coming through like (Kwame) Poku who will have learn so much from last season and are only going to grow and grow and kick on now hopefully next season.

“Everyone looks at losing in the play-offs as a negative but we did unbelievably well to get there and with the cup run, we played a lot of games last season.

“I think I played 50-odd games which was the most games I think I’ve played in my career.

“It was a long season and with all that went on and to come back and play in the play-offs, it was never going to be easy.

“I’m proud of what we did as a team.”