The club are pleased to announce the signing of striker Freddie Lapado. Freddie joins the blues on an initial 6 month loan from conference side Kidderminster Harriers.

Ladapo, born in Romford, England, is a powerful and robust forward who at youth level scored close to a goal a game. He made appearances on loan and work experience for teams including Chelmsford City, Thurrock and Bishop's Stortford during his progression through Colchester United's youth ranks, before being offered a professional one-and-a-half-year contract with the club in March 2012.

Ladapo made his first appearance for Colchester in the 2012–13 season, coming on as a 68th minute substitute for Gavin Massey in a 3–1 home defeat to Brentford on 26 December 2012. His second appearance came as a 66th minute substitute for Clinton Morrison in a 0–0 away draw against Hartlepool United on 5 March 2013.

In June 2013, Ladapo signed a new one-year contract to keep him with Colchester for a further season, looking to add to his four first-team appearances he made during the 2012–13 season. He was then loaned out to Conference outfit Woking on 16 August 2013 for one month to bolster Garry Hill's strike-force. Ladapo was brought in to cover Giuseppe Sole's suspension following his sending-off in the previous match against Braintree Town, a 2–0 defeat.

Featuring in the starting line-up against Chester on 17 August, Ladapo was replaced after 53 minutes by Joe McNerny who went on to score ten minutes later in the 2–0 victory. He appeared as a 76th minute substitute for George Bowerman in the next game, a 4–2 defeat against Welling United[13] and made further substitute appearances in a 2–1 reverse at Aldershot Town on 26 August and during a 2–1 home defeat to Gateshead on 31 August.

Following his return from his Woking loan spell, Ladapo made his first Colchester appearance of the 2013–14 season on 21 September, coming on as an 80th minute substitute for Freddie Sears in a 1–1 draw with Crawley Town. His next appearance came on 5 October when the U's were defeated 3–0 at home by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Having previously failed to score in his four appearances for Woking, Ladapo was sent out on loan to Nuneaton Town on 1 November for one month. He went on to make his debut the following day in a 2–2 draw with Hyde. He scored the opening goal before being substituted after 84 minutes. In his next match against Welling United on 16 November, Ladapo was brought on as an 86th minute substitute and subsequently scored an injury-time goal to win the game for Nuneaton 2–1.

On 24 January 2014, Ladapo joined Conference side Kidderminster Harriers on a free transfer from Colchester United. Ladapo was registered in time to face Premier League club Sunderland in the FA Cup fourth round the following day. He made his Harriers debut in the game as a 68th minute substitute in front of a crowd of 25,081 as Kiddermister went down 1–0.

Freddie has scored 4 goals in two games Grays having scored against Romford in the Millers Cup and scoring 3 against Tilbury in the Stan Veness Cup match.

Welcome to Grays Athletic Freddie.