CONNOR Witherspoon admits he has taken a step back to take two steps forward after leaving East Thurrock United to join Maldon & Tiptree.

The midfielder ended his two-year spell at Rookery Hill to link up with the Ryman One North outfit, who have large-scale changes planned.

Maldon announced a new link up with League One club Colchester United last week, in which the Football League side’s under-21 squad would be working closely with the non-league team and possibly represent the Jammers.

And Witherspoon, 20, says the project was one he wanted to be a part of under new manager and former U’s player David Wright.

“It is really exciting,” he said. “I was contacted by Mark Levey (Colchester under-21s goalkeeping coach and Maldon & Tiptree coach) and I know he watched me play last season and was impressed. He told me Maldon were looking for some young players to join up and the project sounded like a good one so I decided to go for it.

“There will be the chance to train with the Colchester under-21s and that will be great for me, plus this team has designs on winning promotion next year, so it is a team going places.”

Witherspoon, who lives in Brentwood but works in Laindon, said he had some reservations about leaving the Ryman Premier League for a lower league but said he feels the move will prove to be the right one sooner rather than later.

“That was my only issue with it,” he said. “But although I am dropping down a league now, this team will be up there come the end of the season and hopefully we will be in the Ryman Premier League next year. I feel it is a small step back to make two steps forward in the long-term.

“This is a very ambitious team and I am pleased to be part of it.”

Witherspoon could even have been plying his trade in the National League South next year, with rumoured interest from a number of clubs including Chelmsford City. But he said he never had any concrete offers.

“I heard a lot of whispers but no offers ever came in,” he said. “For me it is all about game time at the moment and, although I played a lot of times at East Thurrock last year, I see next year as the time I can really make an impression on a team going places.”

However, he said it wasn’t an easy decision leaving East Thurrock and he had praise aplenty for manager John Coventry.

“It is a really great club,” he said. “A really good group of people have helped my game develop and they always supported me when I needed it or was struggling. Covo was on holiday when I spoke to him and I know he wanted to keep me, but they have strengthened well and I think they will do well next season.

“We may be playing each other next year!”

Other local youngsters Sam Cross, a former West Ham United full-back, and goalkeeper David Levey have also linked up with Maldon.