CALLUM Roberts' loan spell at Colchester United has ended early this afternoon after he returned to his parent club Newcastle United.

The attacker has gone back to St James' Park after finding his game time limited at the U's since joining them on a temporary basis, in January.

Roberts managed only three substitute appearances for Colchester, during his short spell at the JobServe Community Stadium.

And the 21-year-old has now returned to the Magpies, along with fellow youngsters Elias Sørensen and Jamie Sterry following their respective loan spells with Blackpool and Crewe Alexandra respectively.

The trio will rejoin Newcastle's under-23s for the remainder of the season and could play for them in their game at Reading in the Premier League Cup, on Friday.

Colchester head coach John McGreal recently said Roberts' presence in the squad and form in training had helped competition for places within his squad - and helped Courtney Senior enjoy some fine form.

McGreal said: “Callum arrived in late January and we went to Northampton and we hit a blaze.

“It’s difficult for him - I tried to get him on (against Carlisle) but things conspired against him coming on.

“But he’s trained to a really good level and he’s a boy that understands.

“He enjoys watching the game as well and how we perform.

“Callum has come to play games but Courtney’s performances have gone through the roof, of late.

“I don’t think that it’s any coincidence that it’s come at a time when Callum’s come in and wants to play on the right-hand side.

“Courtney has been unplayable at times, during the past month.

“Callum has come to play but it’s also had an effect on the team that way.

“Abs has had a similar effect on the team on the other side with Brennan and we’ve been able to play Noubs in his preferred role.

“The extra three bodies coming in have really helped so to have those options of late has kept us in and around it.

“Last year, we had the injuries but we didn’t have the backup really.

“We went young and I think we were in a similar position around Easter time but we drifted away, because we didn’t have that experience in the team."