Former Colchester United defender Matt Lockwood has ruled out making a return to the club this summer.
Defender looking for fresh start for next season
Former Colchester United defender Matt Lockwood has ruled out making a return to the club this summer.
The experienced full-back was frozen out of the side by Aidy Boothroyd last season and was subsequently not offered a new contract.
However, Boothroyd's departure to Coventry, and the appointment of John Ward as manager, seemed to offer most players a clean slate for next season.
Lockwood, who had loan spells at Dagenham and Barnet last season, believes that he needs a fresh challenge in his career after a stale period with Colchester.
Absolute nightmare
"The two years at Colchester were an absolute nightmare for me," the 33-year-old told
skysports.com.
"Geraint Williams was in charge when I joined the club, but he got sacked really on in the season and from then on I hated my time there.
"Each manager that came in just didn't fancy me as a player, with Paul Lambert instantly disliking me and Aidy Boothroyd not wanting to play the style of football that suited my game.
"I've got nothing against the football club, but even if John Ward offered me a chance to stay there I don't think I'd take it.
"It's one of those when you need to draw a line in the sand and move on to pastures new."
Lockwood has been searching for a new club since the end of the season and so far he has not received any offers, but he expects things to pick up in the next few weeks.
He added: "It has been pretty quiet so far, but most managers are on holiday at the moment anyway and there isn't a great amount of transfer deals going through right now.
"I've got a few friends that are in the same boat as me this summer and they at the same stage as me, with not a lot going on at the moment and clubs aren't willing to commit to signing players this early in the summer.
"Clubs aren't going to want to sign and pay players now when they don't start work until July, so I'm expecting things to pick up in a week or so.
"It is worrying for me because I haven't got anything in the pipeline, but hopefully things will start cropping up when the clubs start reopening for business as such."
