Veteran Taylor hoping for new Colchester deal

Lyle Taylor has played international football for Montserrat

Colchester United striker Lyle Taylor hopes he has done enough to earn a new deal with the League Two club for next season.

The 35-year-old was United's top scorer this term with 13 goals, but ended it on crutches after suffering a calf injury early in the 2-0 win at Newport County on 12 April.

The former Nottingham Forest forward joined the U's last summer on a 12-month deal, reuniting him with Danny and Nicky Cowley, for whom he played at Concord Rangers early in his career.

"I have decided against going away this summer, I've got about nine weeks of rehab to do before I'll be back on the pitch with everybody else and I'd like that to be in a Colchester United training top," he told BBC Essex Sport.

"Unfortunately that's not up to me at this point. I want to be here next year, that's as plainly as I can put it and let's hope the powers that be and everything goes in my favour and we can make it happen."

Colchester missed out on the play-offs, finishing 10th in League Two following a goalless draw with Barrow.

And the club is now considering the retained list amid reports that owner Robbie Cowling is negotiating to sell his stake to a US consortium.

Taylor had travelled to their penultimate game at Salford City despite his mobility issues in order to support the team.

They lost that game 4-1 and he joked: "By the time I managed to get out of the dressing room on my sticks, it was already settled."