Colchester sign former Tottenham forward Williams

Jaden Williams played his first EFL Trophy game for Spurs against Peterborough in September 2022

Colchester United have signed forward Jaden Williams following his release by Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

The 20-year-old made four EFL Trophy appearances for the Spurs under-21 team, three of them last season when he scored from the spot in a penalty shoot-out win over Bristol Rovers.

He is Colchester's first signing of the summer transfer window and the club say he has signed a "long-term contract".

"He is a young player that likes to play as a centre forward," U's boss Danny Cowley said.

"He has real pace and loves to run off the back of defenders. He also presses with aggression and is really team orientated."

Williams joined Tottenham's academy at the age of six and has helped the club win age group trophies.

He scored a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers in Premier League 2 in 2024-25 and said: "I feel ready, and I've been wanting to play men's football for quite some time.

"I feel like Colchester is the best opportunity for me to develop and be one of the best."