 | All I can do is give 100% wherever I play. I do enjoy central midfield most of all but I think I am better suited to being right-back |
Colchester star Greg Halford should probably hate the term 'utility man'.
The versatile 21-year-old has played in defence, midfield and attack for club and country over the past few seasons - but insists he is happy to play wherever he is asked to.
"Central midfield is my preferred position - but there are a lot of different opinions on where my best position is," Halford told BBC Sport.
"At the moment Colchester manager Geraint Williams thinks I am a better right-back than anywhere else so that is where I am playing.
"But I know Peter Taylor who picked me for England last year likes me as a central midfielder.
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"I played up front for England Under-20s last summer and in a dozen games for Colchester - but then I ended up playing on the right of midfield all of last season because our old boss Phil Parkinson told me that was the position for me.
"All I can do is give 100% wherever I play. I do enjoy central midfield most of all but I think I am better suited to being right-back.
"This is my old position and I think I've been doing okay. I haven't played right-back for a couple of years but I think I have adapted really well.
"I am still a bit rusty but I am definitely very happy with my performances so far and there is still a lot more to come."
Halford has also had to adapt to life at a higher level this season after helping Colchester win promotion to the Championship last term.
And he believes his side have turned the corner after a tricky start to the new campaign that saw them lose their first four league games.
The U's are now unbeaten in four games, winning three of them, and Halford said: "I just think we have found our feet more than anything else.
"We were taken by surprise by the quality of this division after stepping up from League One but we have got our heads around it and we are not making as many mistakes as we were.
"We are getting the results we want and whenever we string a run together it increases confidence.
"We went on a long unbeaten run last season which helped us get promoted.
| Our mentality has always been that we can stay up - my thoughts in pre-season were that we are in this division on merit |
"I am not saying that is going to happen this time but obviously confidence is high at the moment - and we are looking to the Leicester game on Saturday to try and get three more points there."
Halford knows his side still face a battle to stay up this season despite their recent good form but feels they are capable of doing so.
"We know what the standard is like in this league now," he said. "Everyone has responded to it really well and it shows in our results.
"Our mentality has always been that we can stay up. My thoughts in pre-season were that we are in this division on merit.
"We did well last year and we are not in this division to make up the numbers. We definitely thought we could make an impact and stay up, and still do.
"In our first few games we did not get the results we were looking for - but the performances were there.
"Just one or two stupid mistakes were costing us but we learnt from them and we have put things right."
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