FRANK Nouble says he is ‘buzzing’ to be back at Colchester United after sealing a permanent return to the club.

The popular forward has penned a two-year deal with the U’s following his departure from League One side Plymouth Argyle, becoming the club’s fifth summer signing.

Nouble spent the final three months of last season on loan at Colchester, playing his part in helping them secure their League Two status.

Now the 29-year-old is aiming to help the U’s compete at the top end of the table, after securing his return to the JobServe Community Stadium.

He said: “I’m delighted to be back.

“I had a meeting with the chairman as soon as the season was done.

“We expressed our happiness first of all at surviving last season - he showed his appreciation to me and I thanked him for bringing me back, so I could enjoy my football again.

“These weeks have been a bit long and a bit frustrating at times, speaking to loads of different managers and then obviously coming to the conclusion that Colchester really did want me back and I wanted to come back.

“These things take longer than you want sometimes but it was very key that I got the family side of it sorted and that is the case now.

“We’re happy to be back in this area.

“It’s always good to feel wanted and I wanted to come back and show my loyalty but also produce performances at a high level, hopefully nearer to the top of the table than the bottom than we had in the last few months, of last season.”

Nouble has made more than 100 appearances for Colchester in his two spells with the club, scoring 17 times.

The former West Ham United youngster returned to the U’s on loan last February, having six months earlier been one of four senior players to have left the club last summer as a result of the financial implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nouble played his part in keeping the U’s in League Two, starting all but one of their remaining 21 games after joining and scoring three times in that spell.

He said: “It’s always good to be wanted and I feel very lucky and appreciated.

“I’ve put in the hard work and I feel like here, I’ve shown loyalty to this club and hopefully now we can have a bit more success and promotion.

“That’s my goal and that’s why I signed here.

“A few clubs that did call me have signed a few big names in League Two but I thought ‘let me better myself against those clubs’ with a team I feel very comfortable with and happy to sign for.”