Colchester United have welcomed their first signing of the January transfer window, signing Conor Wilkinson on an 18-month deal.
The 28-year-old arrives in Essex following half a season in Scotland, scoring four goals in 19 appearances for Scottish Premiership side Motherwell.
Subject to international clearance, Wilkinson will join The U’s for an undisclosed fee, and the club expect him to join the squad to play Swindon Town this weekend.
The signing comes after Colchester United lost star player Joe Taylor, following his loan recall by Luton Town, with multiple EFL clubs looking to bring in the 21-year-old.
Valued at €150,000 by Transfermarkt, Wilkinson has plenty of experience in the EFL, coming through the books at Millwall.
He got his debut with Bolton Wanderers in the Championship but struggled for minutes and was sent on many loans during his four-year spell in Lancashire.
The under-21 Irish international made appearances for Chester, Torquay United, Oldham Athletic, Barnsley, Newport County, Portsmouth and Chesterfield during loan spells.
Gillingham would then snap him up on a permanent deal, only scoring four goals in 50 appearances across two years at Priestfield.
A good spell at Dagenham and Redbridge caught the attention of newly-promoted League One side Leyton Orient, where he spent two seasons before he moved to Walsall and then to Motherwell, who signed him in the summer transfer window.
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell said upon Wilkinson’s departure: “Conor has been given the opportunity for more game time and a move closer to home.
“We had a very good discussion during the negotiations and we both thought it best that this move should go ahead.
“Although only joining us in the summer, I do believe Conor brought something to the table in his time at Motherwell and wish him the very best for the rest of his career.”
Upon his arrival in Essex, the striker was delighted with the move. He told club media: “I haven’t had the best two years playing games, I’ve been injured for a while. I feel this is the right step for me to get playing games and get my career back on track.
“I had a really good season under [Colchester Caretaker Manager Ross Embleton] him at Orient, we worked really well together, so hopefully we can get that off to a good start on Saturday.”
Writer’s View
Conor Wilkinson seems like a promising start to Colchester’s window. His recent experience in League Two has been good, delivering fairly consistently for Orient and Walsall. Whilst not likely on the level of what Joe Taylor provided for the U’s, the 28-year-old should help cover what they need to fight in the relegation battle they are in. In his first interview with the club, he did hint at recurring injury problems, which is a concerning note.
Colchester’s hunt for a new head coach means it is not clear whether Wilkinson will be a first-choice player for this season. The fact that the club have paid a fee for his services should hint towards him being a regular starter, but the next boss could have other plans. Having worked at Leyton Orient with Ross Embleton, who is presumably taking caretaker control as he did in February 2023 following the sacking of Matt Bloomfield, means he should have an instant chance to impress against Swindon.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
