Former Blues midfielder Byron Lawrence believes he needed a fresh start having been unable to break back into the first-team picture at Portman Road. The 18-year-old joined Colchester United on a free transfer on deadline day and made his U’s debut in Tuesday’s 3-2 home defeat to Sheffield United.
Academy graduate Lawrence broke through into Town the first-team squad as a 15-year-old when he was an unused sub in the 2-1 Carling Cup defeat to Northampton in August 2011.
He became the club’s second-youngest first-team player behind Connor Wickham when he came on as a sub aged 16 years and 47 days on the final day of the 2011/12 season in the 3-2 victory at Doncaster, but did not add to that appearance.
"It’s been a really interesting couple of years for me,” he told the Colchester Gazette.
"Things probably didn’t go as I had wanted when I made my debut at 16. I always tried my best to kick on at Ipswich but I knew that I needed to move on to play.
"I had a few conversations with Mick McCarthy and I had a good relationship with him.
"He thought I was a good player but not quite good enough to play in his team.
"It was good to get away and have a fresh start and it’s what I needed after a couple of years at Ipswich.
"I came to a really good club in Colchester - I really like it here and it was an easy place to come to.”
Lawrence, who joined the Blues' youth set-up from Histon as a schoolboy, says his Colchester debut was bittersweet with the U’s 1-0 in front when he came on in the 76th minute. They increased their lead almost immediately before conceding three times in the last seven minutes.
"I had mixed emotions - I was happy to get on and get my first game time for Colchester but it was a tough game to take,” he added.
"It was a debut to remember but it was a good experience. [Assistant boss] Richard [Hall] has told me to try and take the positives - he said it’s very rare for that to happen in a game.
"I’m really enjoying being part of the first-team squad and they’re a really good team to be involved in.
"I have to keep playing well in the U21s and in training and hopefully get some more game time.”