We take a look at other loanees to make full time U's switch.
George Moncur has become the latest successful loan player to become a full time member of the Colchester United squad.
It is something that the U's have been able to do to great effect over the years, with former boss Phil Parkinson particularly productive in his work in the transfer market.
Here are six loanees who have made a big impression, both whilst on loan at the U's and after their full time switch.
1) Mark Yeates
Mark originally joined the U's at the start of the 2005/6 on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and he was an integral part of the side that took us into the Championship for the first time in our history.
He played 44 of the 46 league games as we went up behind Southend into the second tier, scoring 5 goals, before returning to Spurs that summer.
He enjoyed loan spells with Hull and Leicester in the Championship, before making a permanent return to the U's for our final season at Layer Road.
Despite significant investment in the squad after a number of summer departures, the new look U's were unable were able to replicate the successes of the first Championship campaign and fell back into League One in 2008.
Yeates was part of the squad that started the first season at WHCS and holds the honour of scoring the U's first league goal at our new stadium.
He is currently plying his trade with Phil Parkinson at Bradford and scored the winner against Preston last week.
2) Neil Danns
Arguably one of the most popular U's players of the last generation, Danns first arrived on loan in September of 2004 and quickly got on the goal trail with three goals in ten games.
He returned to Blackburn at the end of a two month stint with the U's, but was an early Christmas present for the club's supporters when he joined on December 23rd for a nominal fee from the Ewood Park side.
It was in the U's promotion season that he came to the fore, scoring 16 times for the club to help us into the Championship.
His form was such that he earned a six figure move to Birmingham City that summer, but was used in more of a holding midfielder role by then manager Steve Bruce.
A successful stint at Crystal Palace followed and, after a number of loan moves including one at Bolton, he made the permanent switch to Wanderers in the summer, where he has been just as popular as in his time with the U's.
3) Liam Chilvers
Liam was one of Phil Parkinson's early signings as U's boss, signing in January during Phil's second season as manager.
He had two stints as a loanee centre half for the U's, a spell which took in over 50 games, before eventually signing permanently for the club in the summer of 2004.
That permanent spell took in another 88 games, including 34 out of the 46 league games in the U's promotion season of 2005/6. His goal at Bournemouth in the penultimate away game proved crucial in our promotion hopes as we won at Dean Court that day.
Like Danns, he left that summer to join Preston North End, where was to spend four years before joining Notts County.
He is currently playing for Hyde in the Conference North.
4) Wayne Brown
Whilst other players quickly made the switch from loan to permanent player, Wayne's association with the U's lasted a little longer.
Wayne originally joined on loan in October 1997, playing a couple of games before returning to parent club Ipswich Town.
He then came to the U's for a second loan six and a half years later, playing 16 games on loan at the tail end of the 2003/4 season, before joining permanently that summer.
It was an inspired move by boss Phil Parkinson, with Brown a bedrock in the back four and a real leader as the U's earned promotion to the Championship.
He was equally as important as the U's caused shock after shock in the second tier, before he headed north to join Hull in the summer of 2007.
Wayne returned to the club a couple of years ago and now currently manages the successful U18s team.
5) Gavin Massey
As we reflect on George joining permanently today, he's not the only one in the current squad to have made that switch from loan to full time Colchester player.
Gavin originally joined the U's on loan in two separate loan spells from Watford at the tail end of the 2011/12 season and his performances quickly won over the U's supporters.
Signed initially as an attacking winger, Gavin's game has evolved to ensure he is an integral part of the U's current set-up, both protecting his full back and also going forward. And, under Tony Humes, he has also played in behind the front men in a more central role to show his important versatility.
With 12 in 20 so far this season, Freddie is well placed to get towards 20 goals by the time the campaign is out.
He has been a regular scorer in his time as a Colchester player, before exploding into full, potent goalscoring form this season.
Freddie Sears first came to the U's on a temporary basis, but then made that move full time. Having got two in eleven on loan, there was the hint that there would be goals to follow once Freddie had joined permanently in the summer of 2012.
And of course George isn't the only Hammer to go on loan to the U's before making it permanent.
6) Freddie Sears
Gavin will be a regular alongside George, having recently signed a new two and a half year contract himself.