Former Hatter Chris Coyne admits he left Luton for Colchester with a ‘heavy heart’

Ex-Town centre half Chris Coyne revealed how it was with a ‘heavy heart’ that he took the decision to leave Kenilworth Road when he did.

The Aussie defender played 252 times for Luton, scoring 16 goals, but was sold to Colchester United in January 2008 for a fee of around £350,000.

It came when the Hatters were in severe financial difficulties, as they had entered administration as well, with Kevin Foley, Leon Barnett and Ahmet Brkovic also leaving that term.

Coyne, who felt Town could have gone close to reaching the Premier League had the squad stayed together, said: “I didn’t want to leave, but I had a phone call from Kevin Blackwell, who again, good manager, great bloke, I got on well with him.

“Davey Edwards was another one that left on the same day as well, as it was the difference of the club surviving and paying the wages.

“We had to look at it, so I went home, had a chat and in my heart of hearts, I knew I didn’t want to leave.

“I had three boys, all born at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, who were settled, everything was going well.

“I was just looking at potentially getting a national call-up, so I was really happy where everything was.

“Obviously not on the pitch, we were struggling, in tough times, but that made it even worse, having to look to leave.

“It is what it is, I don’t know what the final disclosed fee was, but it meant the club kept going and meant the boys were getting paid.

“But it was with a heavy heart that I left the club at that point, as I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t really want to leave, because it was such a good group of people.

“You felt you were doing the right thing by the group, it wasn’t being selfish and you felt you were doing the right thing by other people and not by yourself.”

Coyne went on to make 38 appearances for the U’s before moving back to his home country and signing for Perth Glory.

He felt he could never regain the feeling he had when at Luton during his time with United, adding: “I never really gave everything I could to Colchester, because I don’t think my heart was in it.

“I suppose that’s a little bit unprofessional from me, but I just don’t think I had that same dog eat dog mentality that I had when I was at Luton.

“I didn’t want to leave, that was my club and I was proud to be there, whereas I never got that opportunity to build that rapport at Colchester, even though I was made captain of the club.

"It’s not that I had a bad time there, I just don’t think if I’m honest, I gave everything I had.”