STEVEN Gillespie would not consider leaving Colchester United, despite being surprisingly dropped for the U’s last outing.

Front-runner Gillespie admitted that he was “very disappointed” and “surprised” to be relegated to the bench for the U’s 1-0 away win at Leyton Orient a fortnight ago.

Since then, the U’s have had two matches postponed, the latest being Saturday’s trip to Walsall.

Gillespie is not one of the 16 players whose contracts expire this summer and, despite his failure to land a regular place in the starting line-up, he is not considering looking to play his football elsewhere for next season.

“Fortunately we got a good result at Leyton Orient, but on a personal level I was very disappointed not to be playing in that game,” confessed Gillespie.

“I had scored two in two (against Scunthorpe and Chesterfield), had played in the last four games – I felt good.

“In the side is where I want to be – playing the full 90 minutes – which is why I was so disappointed to be sat on the sidelines.

“Of course we do have a strong squad – and the lads did their job on the day – but I was very surprised, to say the least, that I was not starting.

“You have to keep your head down and keep going. The gaffer picked the side for one game and we won, but I’m more than ready if he needs me in other games.

“I don’t think I will consider moving on, I’m not anywhere near that, especially as I had played in the previous four games.

“I’m happy here at Colchester and I wouldn’t consider moving away.

“I want to be here, I want to be scoring goals here. Here is where my future lies,” added Gillespie.

Goal poacher Gillespie, a former Liverpool trainee, broke the U’s club record transfer fee when arriving from Cheltenham Town for �400,000 in the summer of 2008.

The 26-year-old, whose U’s career has been dogged by injuries, signed a new two-year package last summer.

However, he is more concerned with playing games and scoring goals, than talking about contracts.

“I don’t think your future is ever secure,” explained Gillespie.

“I’ve got a contract for next season, but I don’t see it that way. I want to be in the side. I wasn’t sat (on the bench) at Leyton Orient thinking that ‘I’m OK because I’ve got another year on my contract.’

“Contract-wise, it comes about and you have to talk about it, but for me personally, I put it to the back of my mind and concentrate on playing.

“I want to end this season like the last, scoring lots of goals and playing plenty of games,” concluded Gillespie.