Midfielder Cameron Humphreys says promotion back to the Championship was the perfect way to end his first season as a full-time member of the senior squad.

The 19-year-old made 19 starts - 10 in the league - and seven sub appearances during 2022/23, scoring three times.

Colchester-born Humphreys joined the rest of his teammates, club staff and almost 11,000 supporters at yesterday’s promotion celebration in Christchurch Park.

“This is amazing,” he said. “I’ve never been part of anything quite like this, obviously it’s my first season in and around a men’s team and to end it with a promotion is perfect really.

“The turnout here just shows the support we’ve had all season, the fans have been brilliant all season, so I’m glad that they’ve had the chance today to celebrate it with the players and the staff.”

Reflecting on his own season, the academy graduate said: “I hoped to play a lot of games this season, but if I’m honest at the start of the season my main target was to try and play the cup games, prove myself in them and see where I went because we’ve got a really competitive squad and everyone on the stage today has deserved to play. Some people have played not as much as maybe they’d want to.

“I’ve really enjoyed every minute I’ve played and maybe I’ve played more games than I thought I would in the league, but playing in front of these fans and with these players has been a real privilege this season, learning from them and trying to get better.”

Humphreys believes he’s progressed significantly as a player over the course of the season.

“Definitely, I think I’m a much better player now,” he reflected. “When you’re not in the team, it’s a testament to all the coaches the work they do at the training ground every day, in the gym with the strength and conditioning coaches.

“In all areas on and off the pitch, I think I’ve improved a lot and now I’ll have a well-earned break and then we’ll go again next season trying to improve again.”

Regarding the summer break, he added: “Not too much planned yet. I think it’ll just be trying to rest and relax for the next few weeks and then get ready to go again in pre-season.

“Obviously, the Championship next season, hopefully we’re going to be competitive there, so it’s going to be a lot of hard work next season but for now it’s just a week or two to reflect and rest.”

Looking ahead to next season in the second tier, he said: “It’s a step-up for the team, but one we’re more than ready for.

“We’ve got players in the squad that can definitely compete and do well at that level, so I’m just excited to see what I can do personally next season but also what this team is capable of.”

Humphreys knows he has a tough job competing with the likes of skipper Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo - if the Australian stays with his current contract up - Dominic Ball, Lee Evans and Panutche Camara for a place in the team next season.

“It’s a really competitive squad and especially in the middle of the park we’ve got a lot of good and experienced players in there,” he said.

“It’s been a privilege to play with them and learn from them in training, how they conduct themselves on and off the pitch, and that’s really, really helped me.

“And I think they’ve been really good, I’ve been able to talk to them, so their advice and their knowledge has definitely helped me during the season.”

Has he been given a fitness plan for the summer? “I’ll have plenty of things to do, plenty of sessions in the gym and runs on the grass, but I enjoy all of that. I’ll have a good break but I can’t really want to get back to it.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Suffolkboy added 18:05 - May 9 What's with the typing ? N isn't near I but presumably he can't WAIT ! He's a good lad ,who's done exceptionally well and I hope his physical strengthening and training will see him translate to Championship football seamlessly . Go for it CH ! COYB
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SpiritOfJohn added 18:55 - May 9 He was the best player on the pitch against Rotherham, but then suffered a bit from fatigue when playing every week in the league. Hoping that he will get a good pre-season and hoping that he will feature regularly again next season.
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Karlosfandangal added 20:46 - May 9 Not Championship ready just yet as playing week in and week out in League 1 showed. But what a season this lad had…….a must for cup matches and I would like to see him on the bench each week. The season after I can see this talented lad being one of the first name on the team sheet.
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50yearsablue added 07:23 - May 10 Suffolkboy, when you get picky about a typo, make sure you put your commas, full stops, exclamation marks etc. immediately after a letter with no gaps.
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Murphys_Law added 08:32 - May 10 Easy to underestimate his contribution to our promotion. He plugged the gap admirably whilst most of our senior midfield players were injured. He's going to develop into a seriously good player if he keeps his head down and keeps progressing. Well done.
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therein61 added 18:36 - May 10 He came in and played more games than expected due to injuries but the lad did an excellent job which bodes well for the future of our club. Now then where does this comma go? lmao
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Jugsy added 09:25 - May 11 What a talent we have in our ranks. Too much was asked of him given his age - against Rovers away he battled and fought so hard and was out on his feet, yet some idiot fans saw wise to lay into him. Even then, he still came over and applauded us and looked to have tears in his eyes. Looking forward to seeing his career unfold with us, let's look after him.
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SamWhiteUK added 13:08 - May 11 I've seen at least one typo in the last few articles I've read over the last few days. I assume Phil is still celebrating promotion.
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