Craig Slater insists he is not bitter about his troubled time at Dundee United.
Slater spent the second half of last season on loan at Tannadice after manager Csaba Laszlo had swooped to snap up the 24-year-old on loan from English outfit Colchester United.
Slater struggled to get regular game time as the Tangerines toiled and ultimately missed out on a return to the Premiership.
But the former Kilmarnock man, who moved south to the ambitious Essex club in 2016, maintains he feels no ill will following his frustrating stint with United.
Slater said: “I came up from Colchester with high hopes of getting valuable game time.
“It started off well but results obviously weren’t great. Then the team wasn’t doing so well and I soon found myself out of it.
“It would have been nice to play a wee bit more but, looking back, I don’t hold any grudges over my time at Tannadice.
“That’s what football is like at times. It didn’t work out for both parties so you have to take that on the chin.
“There is no point dwelling on it and you just have to move on.
“We did pick up a bit towards the end of the season but the unfortunate thing was we just missed out almost at the final hurdle, so hopefully the boys can do it next year instead.”
Slater is now on the look-out for a new club and the Glasgow-born player insists he has lost none of the faith in his own ability as he bids to get his career on track.
He said: “I know what I can do when I’m fit. That’s all that matters to me.
“For me, I know where I can be all things being equal.
“At Colchester, I had just come back from a wee groin operation when I joined United. It took a wee bit of time to get over.
“But I had a great first season there before being hit with a few injuries.
“Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do. It’s the life of a footballer as it’s outwith your hands.
“Now I think pre-season will be a great leveller. If I can get a good one under my belt, it will stand me in good stead.
“I’m a free agent so we will see what the future brings.
“It is obviously an option to go back down south.
“I enjoyed my time down there. I loved it so would rule nothing out.”
Meanwhile, United could hold trial matches as they try to unearth new players for next season.
Instead of inviting people to the club as trialists one by one this summer, the Tangerines are expected to bring them over as a group and see how they shape up during games.
