JAMIE Cureton has set his sights on the Premiership with new club Norwich City, but his place in the history of Colchester United is already assured.Cureton left Layer Road to join the Canaries on Friday, signing for an undisclosed fee - the U's had already rejected a £250,000 bid from Hull, and are believed to have wanted in the region of £750,000 for their star.

By Carl Marston

JAMIE Cureton has set his sights on the Premiership with new club Norwich City, but his place in the history of Colchester United is already assured.

Cureton left Layer Road to join the Canaries on Friday, signing for an undisclosed fee - the U's had already rejected a £250,000 bid from Hull, and are believed to have wanted in the region of £750,000 for their star.

The 31-year-old did not want to leave the U's under a cloud, having had an earlier transfer request turned down, and yet he can be proud of his record. He joins a select band of just four ex-Colchester strikers who can boast a better goal ratio than one in every two games.

Cureton plundered 31 goals in 56 first team appearances (league and cup) at an average of a goal every 1.81 games, and lifted the Championship's Golden Boot last term.

The only former U's players to better that ratio are Martyn King (137 goals in 227 appearances, at an average of 1.64), Bobby Hunt (99 in 164, at an average of 1.66) and Ray Crawford (31 in 55, at an average of 1.77). Bubbling just outside are the likes of Vic Keeble (24 in 49), Bobby Svarc (63 in 128) and Ken Plant (84 in 195).

Considering that Cureton arrived on a free transfer from Swindon Town last summer, with his career seemingly going nowhere, it proved an inspired signing. However, U's supporters, and the Layer Road board, will be disappointed to have lost their prize asset to a rival Championship club, and with a year still left on his current contract.

Cureton is not looking back. He said: “I will be 32 in August, but I still have plenty in the locker.

“I'm probably playing the best I have ever played at the moment and I am raring to go. I'm ambitious and I want to get to the Premiership with Norwich. With the quality of players we have in the squad, there's no reason why I should not get a lot of goals and no reason why we shouldn't be going all out for promotion.

“It's a great club and the stadium and the facilities have improved even more since I was here before.”