FRUSTRATED Icelandic international Matth�as Vilhj�lmsson believes he should have been given more of a chance to prove himself at Colchester.

The 24-year-old – who can play in midfield or attack – requested that his loan spell at the U’s be terminated this week after he wasn’t even named on the bench at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night.

Over the 12 matches Colchester have had since his arrival, Vilhj�lmsson – nicknamed Matti Villa – has been brought on as a late substitute three times (a combined total of less than 45 minutes played), been an unused substitute five times and failed to even make the bench on four occasions.

He flew back to Reykjav�k last night and will now start pre-season training with parent club Fimleikaf�lag Hafnarfjar�ar (FH) as they attempt to build on a run of seven league and cup titles in as many seasons when the new campaign kicks off in May.

It was a gut-wrenching decision for a player who put a university degree on hold and moved his girlfriend and young son to Essex in an attempt to achieve his boyhood ambition of becoming a professional footballer in England.

“I just thought it was best for me to go home because I haven’t been playing football,” said Vilhj�lmsson, after saying goodbye to his Colchester team mates yesterday afternoon.

“Of the 12 games I have been available the team has scored 11 goals – that’s less than one a game. With that in mind I thought I deserved a chance.

“My motivation since I was a little boy was to play in England and become a professional footballer so it has been massively disappointing that I haven’t been given an opportunity.

“I’m not the sort of person who complains and I just trained as hard as I can but it obviously just wasn’t meant to be.”

Asked to sum up his experience, Vilhj�lmsson said: “It’s been both good and bad.

“The training has been good for me, it’s been a higher level and I have learnt new things that I can take home with me. I’m definitely a better footballer now than before I came here.

“The way I look at it it’s been better to have been here than being back in Iceland just doing pre-season training. I have to look at this as a good training camp and a good experience.

“I’m now just looking forward to going back to my team in Iceland so that I can enjoy my football.”

He added: “I told the manager (John Ward) I wanted to go back this week and he said he understood my decision.

“He told me he liked my attitude towards training but that he was happy with the strikers he has got at the moment.

“Do I still think I can make it in English football? For sure, 100%. I am convinced I could do well in this league. We’ll just have to see what the future holds.

“I have no regrets because I’ve made some good friends and the lads here have been terrific towards me.”