Kurtis Guthrie is convinced that he will reach double figures for goals scored this season, even though he missed the first half of the campaign through long-term injury.

Colchester United front-runner Guthrie marked his first league start of the season with an opening goal in the U’s disappointing 4-1 home defeat to Cheltenham Town last Saturday.

The 24-year-old had not started a league game since also finding the net in a 2-1 home win over Hartlepool, on February 25, 2017, due to an ankle injury.

But now he is looking to make up for lost time, to boost the U’s promotion hopes as well as further his own career.

“The last 10 months have been a hellish time for me,” confessed Guthrie.

“I haven’t enjoyed it at all. It’s been a very humbling experience. I felt like if I didn’t get injured through the back-end of last season, then my career would probably have stepped on to greater heights, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.

“That has brought me back down to earth. I know that I have to continue working hard to do what I can for the team, and also obviously help myself in the long run.

“Whether reaching those new heights meant promotion with Colchester last season, at the end of the day in all jobs you want to go as high as you can and do well, so if that takes me to pastures new then that’s just the way it is.

“Hopefully that can be with Colchester United, but if not then obviously I want to play at the highest level I can do and push on in my career.

“I don’t want to have any regrets when I look back,” added Guthrie.

The ex-Forest Green Rovers attacker was the U’s second joint scorer with 12 goals last term, and he now has 19 games left of this season to get close to that mark.

“Things were going well before the injury. I had scored 12 goals and I had played in midfield for quite a lot of those games. I was itching to get my chance up front and when that chance came I thankfully scored a few goals.

“Now I’m hoping to end my season on double figures again.

“I want to do well for the team and myself, and I am confident I can do that. I am in no a doubt that I will score goals regularly again. The boys put the ball in the right place for me, and if not then as I’ve shown (against Cheltenham), I can go and make a goal for myself.”