Kane Vincent-Young has enjoyed a good start to the season, as has his Colchester United team, but he believes that there is still room for improvement.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old former Tottenham trainee is looking to chase down fellow full-back, Ryan Jackson, in the goalscoring charts.
Right-back Jackson is one of nine U’s players to have already scored this season. In fact, the ex-Gillingham defender has already bagged a couple of goals.
Vincent-Young, operating on the other side of the pitch at left-back, is yet to score this term. And although his main role is a defensive one, he wants to get in on the scoring knack.
“We are on a good run of form at the moment,” explained Vincent-Young, following yesterday’s training session at Florence Park, Tiptree, in the build-up to tomorrow’s tough test at Oldham Athletic.
He continued: “It’s a good place to be, in this team. Home or away, we treat matches the same way, and we know what threats Oldham will pose.
“There’s a real togetherness about the squad. The team spirit is great, and we believe we can win matches, home and away.
“The burden of scoring has been spread around the team. Even Jacko (Jackson) has got a couple, so I want to get in on the act as well.
“The goals have been shared around. Everyone is pulling their weight, and we defend from the front.
“On a personal note, I’m still warming up this season. I feel that I’m still getting there.
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“I’m looking to improve over the next few games, especially as we have a good run of games coming up against top-seven teams (Oldham, Bury and Yeovil).
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I have not started well this season, but I can get better, especially in terms of getting forward.
“Perhaps teams have sussed me out a little, over the last year or so?
“I am my strongest critic, and I have set myself some high standards.
“I haven’t had a bad start, but I want to chase Jacko with the goals and I want to get forward more, although of course with Dicko (Dickenson) just ahead of me, I need to give him space,” added Vincent-Young.
The U’s have only lost one of their first eight league fixtures – a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Northampton from four weeks ago – and have won one and drawn three of their first four away games.
They have taken points on the road at Notts County, Mansfield and Tranmere, and won at Cheltenham.
“To be unbeaten away from home, at this stage of the season, is a very good sign,” said Vincent-Young.
“You are doing well, if you can avoid losing away, especially as everyone knows how good we are at home, as our record proves.
“And we will be hoping to come away from Oldham with at least a point this weekend.
“Oldham have come down a division (relegated from League One at the end of last season), and have started well, as have we, so it’s a big game. Of course they are all big games, but this should be a good test for us.
“We have already got nearly double the points (15) that we had managed at this time last season, so it’s a great start. That all starts from what goes on, on the training pitch. Everyone is pushing each other. It’s not just a strong starting XI, we have a good squad with everyone pulling together.
“We are inevitably going to win games, when we’re the highest goalscorers in the division, but we are looking good as a defensive unit as well.
“If we do concede, it’s usually just one rather than several goals. There’s good discipline in the team, which shows how far we have come since last season.
“We sometimes conceded goals at key moments last year, but we’ve not done that this season. That was proved against Cambridge (3-0 home win) last weekend, when Dicko (Brennan Dickenson) cleared one off the goal-line and we then went and scored at the other end.”
Vincent-Young does not celebrate his 23rd birthday until next March, but he has already rattled up 77 league games and 88 senior appearances, since his switch from Tottenham to the U’s Academy in the autumn of 2014.
He was close to leaving the Essex club before the start of the season, with Ipswich Town among the interested parties, but he later signed a new deal with the U’s.
“It was, what it was,” said Vincent-Young. “That’s all been brushed under the carpet now. I’m looking forward to playing every week.”
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