FORMER Dorchester Town midfielder Ollie Griggs admitted he would have liked “more of a chance” under manager Steve Thompson and is “upset” at his Magpies exit.

Griggs, who was in the final season of a two-year contract at the Clayson Stadium, left the club by mutual consent with immediate effect on Monday with 33 career appearances and a single goal.

Having been signed by previous boss Craig Laird, Griggs instantly endeared himself to Dorchester fans by heading the winner in a 1-0 victory over Basingstoke in the second game of last season.

However, the midfielder since struggled with injury and, after picking up a serious ankle infection from a summertime dip in the river, needed surgery to combat the issue.

Griggs’ pre-season preparations were eliminated and the youngster was loaned out to Winchester for a second time, having also spent time at Brockenhurst during Thompson’s tenure.

Speaking to Echosport following his departure, Griggs confessed his love for the Magpies and conceded his ankle was still an ongoing problem.

He said: “I’m a bit upset about leaving. I love the club and everyone who works for the club. It just didn’t work out in the end, there’s many reasons to it.

“Then again, I’ve been very unfortunate with injuries the last two years since I signed the contract.

“I thought it was best for me and my football to move on and start afresh, sort my ankle out and go again, get back into it and start enjoying football again. It’s not that I really wanted to leave.”

While expressing his disappointment at a lack of opportunities when fit, Griggs respected Thompson’s selection decisions.

He said: “That’s Steve’s opinion, football’s all about opinions and everyone’s got theirs on different players.

“I would have liked to have had more of a chance, but it’s not my call at the end of the day. The gaffer picks the starting XI and the bench.

“Obviously, I wasn’t there a lot of the time through injury, which is unfortunate and has given me many setbacks in the last two years, but I feel like I could’ve brought more to the table.”

Despite hitting his targets at Winchester, scoring one goal at the Citizens, Griggs felt his time with Dorchester “didn’t work out” despite being in regular contact with Thompson throughout his stint in Hampshire.

He said: “When we did speak it did seem like there was a future (at Dorchester) there. I’d have hoped he kept an eye out for me and I’d say both spells were very successful.

“I achieved everything I wanted to achieve in the spells and got back to where I wanted to be. It just didn’t work out for one reason or another.”

Since leaving Dorchester, Griggs has had offers to continue playing this season, adding he may “possibly” return to action.

He said: “I’ve got a few options that I could play, and I possibly will play this year.

“I need to sort things out with my health and ankle as well, which is my main priority. I expect I will sign for someone – I don’t know where yet.

“Again, we’ll just have to go day by day, see how it goes and hopefully get back into it.”

Of obvious concern to Griggs is his ongoing recovery from an ankle infection, which he continues to manage after every game.

He said: “It’s not as bad as it was maybe three, four months ago. I still struggle with training, with mobility.

“I lack what I did have before the infection, so sometimes it’s a bit restricted in the way that it moves. It gets really bad pains after football, so I’m normally icing it that evening or the next day.

“I get quite bad shin splints from my ankle – the list could go on and on. It’s just one of those things I have to deal with and hopefully manage to get better."