Town youngster Tristan Nydam has reflected on the season so far and promised to continue his rapid progress at Portman Road in the next campaign.
The teenager born in Zimbabwe, who moved to Colchester when he was seven, has already beaten his target of first team appearances this season.
Nydam, 18, said: "My target was to make 10 first team starts and I have made 11 up till now.
"I thought I would get there towards the latter stages of the season so to reach my target as soon as I did was surprising. I’ve really enjoyed it.
"My debut at Luton in the Carabao Cup back in August was a highlight for me. The gaffer put me in and I enjoyed the experience, and I think I’ve kicked on from there.
"I was doing really well when I got injured and it was a real setback because it kept me out for about a month and a half. I got through it alright and I’m getting back to full fitness now.”
Nydam, who signed a new contract in November last year to extend his stay with Town until the summer of 2021, was delighted to be named in the starting line-up at Nottingham Forest for the first game under Bryan Klug’s temporary spell in charge following the premature exit of Mick McCarthy a few days earlier.
He added: "It was brilliant to be picked. I’ve worked under Bryan for many years, since I was about 13 or 14, so I know what he’s like and what he was expecting from me. He has been a huge help to me over the years.
"I’ve become more mature — he tells me what I’m good at but also tells me what I’m not so good at and what I need to work on to get better.
"He’s been a real confidence booster for me. There’s still a lot I need to work on.
"It’s been different for me this season, learning more about men’s football and how they do it at Championship level. With experience, which will come from getting more game time and what not, I’ll become more mature.
"Bryan likes players to be brave and confident on the ball, and he wants players to express themselves. He stressed last week at Forest that he wanted players to want the ball but Mick McCarthy was like that as well.
"I do like having the ball at my feet because I see that as the best way I can express myself. Bryan has instilled that in me over the years I have worked with him.
"It was a brilliant experience at Forest and I felt my personal performance and contribution was alright. I thought we had done well as a team until the last few minutes and although we ended up losing it I thought it was a good game.
"This is my first season with the first team and I think it started well. Obviously, the injury set me back a little bit, but I think I’m getting back to where I need to be and getting my full fitness back, so I would say it’s been an alright season for me.
"I still believe there’s quite a lot more to come from me. I need to build up my confidence because I’ve been nervous at times when I’ve played but I hope that playing regularly will help me to get used to everything about the Championship.
"I find that the more I play, the more relaxed and less nervous I am. I’m getting to grips with what I can do and what I can’t do in games and I feel I have also become more mature in what I do.”
Nydam is now looking to stay in the side for Town’s final three games of the season, starting with the visit of promotion-chasing Aston Villa to Portman Road on Saturday, a game the visitors will have to win to retain any hopes of securing the second automatic spot behind champions-elect Wolves.
The midfielder added: "A team like Villa, certain to be in the play-offs but still hoping to grab an automatic promotion place, is a huge challenge. "They will be giving it a real go for obvious reasons and it will be a huge test for us.
"But, at the same time, it’s a game everyone can learn from. It’s a genuine thrill for me to be playing in games like that. I played against Leeds at Elland Road earlier in the season and it was everything I thought it would be.
"The fans, the atmosphere, it all helps to make it a great experience and you want as much of that as you can get.
"My long-term ambition is to play in the Premier League, and hopefully with Ipswich, in a few years.
"That’s an obvious target, to play at the highest level, and as far as I’m concerned every footballer should be striving to play there.”