Former Wanderer Elias Kachunga admits he didn’t expect to be playing in England for so long after penning a new deal at Cambridge.

Kachunga joined the U’s last summer following his Bolton release and made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring six times.

The experienced forward played 91 times for the Whites after arriving on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.

He played a key role in the EFL Trophy success, scoring against Accrington and Plymouth in the semi-final and final respectively as Ian Evatt’s side lifted the trophy in front of nearly 80,000 fans at Wembley.

Kachunga recently put pen to paper over a new one-year deal at Cambridge to extend his stay at the Abbey Stadium. He is now preparing for his ninth season in English football, having also had spells with Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday.

The 32-year-old told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "I think when I came to Huddersfield it was more like, ‘Okay, let’s see what this adventure will show me’.

“I came over and couldn’t really speak English so that was already a stress factor for me. I thought, ‘Can I even learn the language and everything?’ After the first year, it was amazing.

"It just turned out that it was the right place for me to play football and so far, I’m enjoying it. I found my wife as well here and have a kid now, I would never have thought this before but it’s nice.”

Cambridge finished 18th in League One, four points above the relegation zone despite failing to win any of their final six matches.

Garry Monk took charge at the Abbey Stadium in March after Neil Harris left the hot seat to join Championship club Millwall.

Kachunga added: “I think after the season, we’ve been pretty sure that both sides want to keep working together. Then it was just about the details of the contract and stuff like that.

"I’m happy that we got it now over the line, signed and looking forward to the new season.

“After my injury, I was a bit gutted because I just came into the flow and then had the injury. Then after that, it was really good.

“Obviously, some changes with the managers. It was not the best thing for the team, but I think the way the team responded at the end of the season and getting it over the line was really positive.

"I think now with a pre-season with the new gaffer, we’ll look like a different team next season.”