Town midfielder Tristan Nydam has proved he is definitely manager Mick McCarthy’s cup of tea with his performances in the opening weeks of the campaign.
McCarthy has been singing the youngster’s praises since last season and the 17-year-old has burst on to the first team scene this term with a string of impressive displays.
But Nydam, who was born in Zimbabwe but moved to Colchester with his mother, two brothers and two sisters when he was seven, revealed how he landed in hot water with McCarthy recently.
He explained: "I made one of the U18 lads late for training. He’s in digs with me and I drive him in every morning. I only woke up at 8.45 and he had to be in for nine so I knew I was going to be in trouble.”
Nydam’s punishment was decided by a spin of what is known at Playford Road as the 'wheel of misfortune'.
He added: "I had to spin the wheel and it landed on ‘make a cup of tea or coffee for the manager and staff’. I felt I got off lightly because I could have been fined a fiver or forced to buy them all biscuits.
"I might even have had to do an extra session with the fitness coach, Andy Liddell, or write a poem to read out loud to everyone, so I wasn’t complaining.”
But McCarthy had a moan, rejecting Nydan’s first attempt and sending him back to make a stronger second cuppa.
The Town boss laughed: "Tristan’s a top player but needs to brush up on his coffee-making skills.
"Put it this way, he’s got far more chance of playing against Sheffield United on Saturday than he has of ever being asked to make me another coffee!”