LEE Barnard admits he remains frustrated not to have been handed more opportunities to impress at Southend United.

The 30-year-old striker was released by the Shrimpers last week after struggling to nail down a regular role in the side at Roots Hall.

And Barnard insisted he was disappointed not to have featured more regularly.

“It’s been really frustrating and disappointing for me because I never felt as though I had much of a chance to show what I could do,” said the forward.

“I had numerous meetings with the manager who said I would be given an opportunity but I started just three games all season so I don’t feel as though that really happened.

“I did well in training, I worked hard and was fit but if I’m not given games what can I do?

“It’s particularly hard because I’m a local lad who loves the club and I did feel as though I could’ve brought something to the team.

“But I just never got the chance which can happen sometimes in football unfortunately.”

Barnard, who attended Billericay’s Mayflower School in his youth, enjoyed a successful first spell with the Shrimpers, scoring 37 goals in 85 games before signing for Southampton in a £175,000 deal in January 2010.

However, the striker was unable to make a similar kind of impact when he returned to Roots Hall at the start of the 2014 and hit the back of the net just twice in 25 appearances, most of which came off the bench.

“It’s certainly not gone the way I wanted when I came back and it’s not what I was hoping for either,” said Barnard.

“But I have a lot of friends at the club and I’m really happy for the fans and the chairman that they’ve gone back up to League One.

“It was a great day at Wembley but for me personally it was obviously disappointing not to be more involved.”

Barnard is now backing Blues to do well in League One.

And he now hopes to be able to impress elsewhere.

“I do feel as though I’ve got still got goals in me and I hope to get the chance to show that now,” said Barnard.

“Something could have happened in January after my loan spell ended at Stevenage but it got blocked which, looking back now, was frustrating because I didn’t play at all when I came back to Southend.

“My agent is dealing with things though and I feel ready to kick on and go again now.”