Great to be back.

Record-signing Steven Gillespie cannot wait to get stuck into Scunthorpe on Saturday after making his latest comeback against Luton Town in Colchester United’s ill-fated Johnstone’s Paint Trophy area semi-final.

And if the pacey Liverpool-born striker has anything to do with it, the U’s will soon be making giant strides towards the Coca-Cola League One promotion play-offs.

Signed for £400,000 in July, the 25-year-old former Cheltenham Town goal-getter has made only five starts for the U’s in a spasmodic season, seriously hampered by troublesome hamstring injuries.

“It was great to get back out on the pitch for the last 15 minutes against Luton, even though the result went against us,” Gillespie told the Gazette.

Gillespie has missed 17 games of this season’s programme to date, but he said: “I felt good and very sharp at Luton and I hope Tuesday night’s little outing is the beginning of a long run in the side for me.

“I’ve been out of action for the last nine games, but I’ve been working hard with physio Tony Flynn and I’ve been back in full training for two weeks now.

“I want to get back scoring as soon as I can and show everyone what I can do.

“The goals will come and my aim is to score as many as I can.

“I came to Colchester because I thought they were a promotion side looking to win their way back up to the Championship.

“I don’t regret making the move one little bit and a look at the league table will show you that with more than half the season still to play the prospect of promotion is not out of our reach.

“I’m sure if we win the next five games – Scunthorpe (h), Brighton (a), Leyton Orient (h), Tranmere (h), MK Dons (a) – we will be on the brink of the play-off zone.”