Colchester have signed Riley Harbottle on loan from Hibs

The 23-year-old has joined the U’s on loan from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian, until the end of the season.

Harbottle emerged through the Nottingham Forest academy along with Richardson, who joined Colchester on loan from Aberdeen earlier this month.

And the powerful centre-back says Richardson was a big factor in him joining Colchester and linking up with his former Forest team-mate once again.

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Harbottle told Col U TV: “I got a phone call from Jayden, saying that the gaffer (Danny Cowley) had spoken to him and stuff and he just told me how good the club was.

“Jay’s my best mate and he was a big factor in me coming to the club.

“I had to make a few decisions outside of football on what option I wanted to take and things like that and I thought Colchester would be the right one for me, at this moment in time.”

Harbottle has found game time hard to come by for Hibernian this season, having joined them from Forest last summer.

The centre-back has made only two appearances for the Edinburgh club since joining them on a three-year deal and is eager to make an impression at Colchester, in the second half of the season.

“I really want to come in and make an impact,” he said.

“It excited me, when my agent first came to me about the move.

“You think about bottom of the league, is it going to be the right one.

“But I looked at the squad, spoke to Jayden and the manager was brilliant – I couldn’t have asked for anything more than him.

“I wanted to feel loved again; I think when you don’t play, you kind of don’t feel that but I’m really excited.

“We had the conversation at Hibs.

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“I wasn’t playing and I didn’t want to waste the season, not doing anything.”

Harbottle has plenty of experience of playing in League Two, having spent the whole of last season on loan at Mansfield Town.

“I really enjoyed last season,” said Harbottle, who has also had a spell on loan at Wealdstone.

“I’ve got a lot of love for Mansfield and things like that.

“I know the league and I’m ready to help the team here.”

Harbottle scored in Mansfield’s 2-0 win at Colchester on the final day of last season.

The victory was not enough to clinch the Stags a play-off place, as they missed out on goal difference.

Harbottle added: “It was a good day, a good performance but I think if we look back at it, we dropped too many points throughout the season.”