Crewe Alexandra midfielder Justin Cochrane has told Crewe Alex World that his need to play competitive games is the reason behind his decision to request a move away from Gresty Road.
The 24-year-old asked manager Dario Gradi to be made available for transfer or for loan last week after a difficult few months which have seen him left out of the first team picture.
And the former QPR youngster admitted he needs to be playing as he enters his final few months of his Crewe Alexandra contract.
"I've only played five games in the past year," Justin told Crewe Alex World on Friday
"My contract is up in the summer and at this stage of my career I need to be playing games. It's been very very very frustrating for me over the past year because all I have wanted to do is play football and when you're not doing that you're not at your happiest.
"I've had a couple of niggly injuries as well but I have been fit most of the time but just haven't been playing."
Cochrane signed for the Railwaymen from non-league Hayes FC in July 2003 and made an instant impact at Gresty Road, becoming a fixture in the Alex midfield.
But things started to go wrong last season, as the Hackney born player appeared just eight times after Christmas, and having featured just four times more this season he felt the time was right to move on.
"I don't know (where things went wrong) and I wish I had a crystal ball so I could go back and find out. I was playing pretty regularly for the first 18 months that I was here but then I got ill and missed a few games. Then I didn't play again the whole of the remainder of last season even when we went 19 games without a win.
"I played the last game when we stayed up but since then the manager has played his other players. We have some good young players here and I know the clubs philosophy is to play the youngsters when they're doing well."
Unfortunately Cochrane missed the beginning of January through injury and having only had his name circulated to other clubs last week, has only a couple of days to sort out a permanent move, although a loan switch could be completed after the window closes.
"The timing of it all has been frustrating because I was injured over Christmas and then going into the transfer window. Before Christmas there was a lot of interest but I wasn't available then.
"I'm available now but I don't have long to sort anything out and when teams find out you're not available they make other plans. There have been a few enquiries but that's all they are at the moment. I'm not going to say I'm going here and there until I've actually signed."
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