Ryan Clampin on Colchester United and Eastleigh move

But the 24-year-old admits he is now looking forward to a fresh start, after linking up with National League outfit Eastleigh.

Clampin was one of a number of players released by the U’s at the end of last season, bringing the curtain down on his 16-year association with the club.

The enterprising left-back, who started out at the U's at the age of eight, says he will look back on his days at the JobServe Community Stadium with fondness - but is now relishing a new challenge.

Clampin said: “Colchester has been an unbelievable time in my life, it really has.

“I do owe the club a lot in that sense but now it’s a fresh start and it’s time to move on.

“Those early days at Colchester were what got me into football properly.

“I’ve had a lot of memories there and they are genuinely ones I’ll never forget.

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“Under (John) McGreal, the Carabao Cup run we had and playing at Palace – that’s something I dreamt of as a kid so for that to happen was unbelievable.

“I made a lot of good friends at Colchester and I’ll definitely stay in touch with them.

“I play golf with them every other day anyway – I can’t get rid of them!”

Clampin made 66 league and cup appearances for Colchester, after making his senior debut for them in September, 2018.

The former U’s youth teamer clocked up 18 league and cup appearances for the U’s in the 2022-23 season, following his recovery from a long-term injury.

Clampin spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Dundee, whom he helped land the Scottish Championship title.

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The Colchester-born defender admits that his release from the club did not come as a surprise.

Clampin said: “It’s been a bit of a long time coming, to be fair.

“I’d been expecting it for a while and I always knew that it was going to be my last year there, especially when I went out on loan.

“I’ve had a lot of time to digest it and it’s not like it’s just come all of a sudden or as a shock.

“I knew before January that it was going to be my last season at Colchester.

“At the time, it was a bit weird but now it feels normal.

“Going away mid-season (to Dundee), I’m distracted by a new team and a new environment.

“If it had just come in the off season when I’m sitting around not doing much, I feel like it would have been a bit of a different feeling.

“But because I knew the situation anyway, I think the news was pretty easy to digest.”

Clampin went out on loan to Scottish Championship club Dundee in January, while Matt Bloomfield was still head coach at Colchester.

Ben Garner took over from Bloomfield as U's boss in March - but Clampin does not think that the change in manager made any difference in determining his departure from the club.

“I think it was a lot deeper than the manager," he said.

“There’s no hard feelings and there’s no bitterness.

“But I think both parties mutually knew that I needed a fresh start and so did they.

“Things don’t always work out how you want them to and you’ve just got to get on with it really."

Clampin spent time on loan at Dundee in the second half of the 2022-23 campaign, making seven appearances at Dens Park.

Along with fellow U's loanee Luke Hannant, he helped the Dee win promotion to the Scottish Premiership.

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He said: “I enjoyed it so much up there.

“I didn’t get the game time I wanted because injuries killed me again but the experience as a whole was brilliant.

“I had a bit of a dream start there but in the second game, I got smashed in a challenge and it sort of summed it up.

“It was my first time out of the club, so I didn’t really know how I was going to fit in or how I was going to react to a completely different environment.

“I didn’t just go around the corner; I was in a completely different country.

“I couldn’t go home as much as I’d like to, so it was a completely new experience for me and one that I really enjoyed.

“It was unreal to have Hanno with me there.

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“It made it ten times easier having him there, especially early on when I didn’t know anyone.

“I guess at Colchester, I got a bit comfortable at times.

“They knew how I was a player whereas going somewhere where nobody knows you, you’ve got to prove yourself again.

“You should have that all the time but when you go to a new club, it gives you a little bit more of a push."

Clampin is hoping to make an impression at Eastleigh, after linking up with the National League club.

He said: “I’m looking forward to getting going there and I can’t wait to get started.

“I was impressed by the manager and what he had to say and it’s a good, well-run club.

“They’re going to be going for it this year and that’s what I want – I don’t want to be scrambling to stay in the league.

“I want to kick on and achieve something.

“I know they’re going to be up there this year and that’s what I want to be a part of."

Clampin is most of all looking forward to enjoying his football again, after an injury-disrupted time.

He added: “This year has been absolutely awful on a personal note, with the injuries and lack of game time.

“And that followed the season before, when I was sat in the physio room all the time.

“It’s pretty frustrating; I’ve had enough of it now and now it’s time for me to kick on a bit and just enjoy football again.

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“The injuries have been really tough, both mentally and physically when your body is just not doing what you want it to do and you know you’re so capable of doing.

“It’s absolutely soul destroying but you’ve just got to pick yourself up from it and work harder, to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“There’s no way I’m letting that happen, because this year I want to enjoy my football again.
“It’s been a long, long time since that’s happened how I used to.

“I’m hoping now I can finally catch a break and play the game I love."