Freddie Sears and Gavin Massey secure Colchester United deals

Colchester United have extended the loan of West Ham's Freddie Sears until the end of the season and re-signed Gavin Massey from Watford for a month.

Striker Massey, 19, played three times for the U's during a spell in January and February.

And fellow frontman Sears, 22, has spent a month at the U's, featuring four times, but is yet to find the net.

"Staying until the end of the season is what I intended to do when I signed," he told BBC Essex.

"It's been good and the boys are on fire at the moment."

Colchester have lost just one of their last seven games, but former England Under-21 international Sears has only started three of those matches.

"I can't have any complaints, the boys have been flying," he said.

"You obviously want to play but at the minute I'm biding my time and waiting for a chance."

Boss John Ward is confident of keeping hold of Sears, despite the forward's lack of games so far.

"West Ham are fine. We're going to extend the loan," he said.

"As a football manager you're always trying to prepare for the unexpected and if I get an injury somewhere I know I've got a good squad."

Meanwhile, keeper Ben Williams has said he is considering the offer of a new contract.

"I spoke to the manager at the start of January with a view to what the club would be offering if they were offering a contract," said the 29-year-old.

"The manager's come back now, with the chairman, and it's a matter of looking over that and deciding where we go from here.

"I've expressed a desire that I'd like to stay. It's just whether everything stacks up. I'm at a period in my career now where it's not just about me, it's also about my young family."