Kurtis Guthrie insists his eventful experience at Colchester United will not change him as a person.

The 24-year-old says he is looking forward to the “next chapter” of his playing career away from the U’s, whom he left by mutual consent after his contract was terminated earlier this month.

And the feisty forward has stressed he has no regrets about his action-packed two-year spell at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Guthrie’s animated Colchester stint included plenty of ups and downs and ended with him reacting angrily to being substituted in what proved to be his final game against Yeovil Town, last month.

Guthrie told the Daily Gazette: “Leaving Colchester was a decision that was best for both parties and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

“There was an inevitability about it, whether it was now or the end of the season and it was time to move on.

“Colchester was the perfect stepping stone for me in my career and my time there was very eventful.

“I learnt a lot and I have no regrets or no negatives – it’s just football.

“There were some darker moments but I’ve got nothing but good memories.

“When you’re willing to be outspoken and say whatever you feel, you’ll always be a target for criticism but that’s my personality and that’s the way I am.

“I’m never going to change – some people will agree with you and some people won’t but I won’t change.”

Guthrie was booed by some Colchester fans in his final game for the club against Yeovil, where he stormed down the tunnel after being substituted in the second half of the 1-0 loss and had earlier in the game squabbled with team-mate Sammie Szmodics over who should take a penalty.

“Everyone needs a villain and on that occasion, that was me but I was just as disappointed to be losing as anyone else,” said the former Accrington Stanley striker.

“We were losing by one goal in a game that we should have been winning.

“I wasn’t happy to go off and I never am.

“There were boos but I was happy to stand up and be counted for.

“It is what it is and it’s another step that I will learn from.”

After scoring 12 times in his first season for Colchester following his move from Forest Green Rovers, striker Guthrie experienced a frustrating second campaign with the U’s.

He briefly returned from a seven-month ankle injury lay-off last September only to be ruled out for a further three months, soon after.

And despite scoring on his comeback game against Cheltenham Town in January, he nevertheless found himself in and out of John McGreal’s starting line-up.

He said: “Things didn’t go too well when I came back from injury.

“A striker needs service and when things don’t go well, the forward is usually the one that people look at.

“When I got injured last season, I was doing well at the time.

“My rehabilitation didn’t go how I wanted it to and it took four months longer than it should have done.

“The only one to suffer for that was myself but it spurs me on for my next chapter and it’s all in front of me.”

Guthrie is hoping to announce the identity of his new club in the coming weeks – and says he is hungry to achieve success.

He added: “I’m feeling good.

“I’ve got a couple of things lined up but I have to make sure that it’s right for me.

“There are teams who are still sorting out which division they’re going to be in.

“In the meantime, it’s just a matter of me working hard and keeping myself ticking over.

“I’ve written the season off but it would have been different had I been playing week in, week out and had games under my belt but that hasn’t been the case.

“It’s a case of getting myself back in working order and going again.

“The next three or four years will be my years and I want to play at the highest level I can.

“I’ve done my trade and my apprenticeship – now I want to go on and achieve something and get some silverware.”

Meanwhile, Guthrie has spoken of his pride after his sister Serena clinched gold with Team England's women's netball team at the Commonwealth Games, in Australia.

He said: “It’s an unbelievable achievement and I’m so proud.

“She’s been working hard for many years and left home at the age of 16 to pursue her dream.

“She knows how to enjoy the good times but she also knows when to get her head down and work.

“She’s an inspiration and she is an example of how to conduct yourself, in a professional environment."