FORMER Southend United star Bilel Mohsni feels he is still paying the price for having an ‘unfair’ reputation’ in football.

The fiery Frenchman enjoyed an eventful three year spell with the Shrimpers.

But the 32-year-old has been without a club since leaving Dundee United in the summer of 2018.

And Mohsni hinted that teams could have been put off signing him.

“I don’t know why my career went the way it did,” said Mohsni who scored 18 goals in 80 games for Blues.

“I want to play again for a team and try to enjoy football again too because it’s a fantastic game.

“When you have a reputation you get a yellow card straight away and then it’s in the news again about how bad you are.

“I have an unfair reputation and people say things in the news about me which other people see.

“But I don’t speak with them anymore so I don’t know how they can say what they do.”

Mohsni had been training with League Two side Grimsby Town before the outbreak of Coronavirus forced him to return home to France.

And he also feels he has matured since leaving Blues in 2013.

“Some of the red cards I got were from frustration,” said Mohsni.

“When I was younger I wanted to go as high as I could and it was frustrating some people stopped me.

“Everyone wants to play in the top league and maybe I should have responded better to this frustration and controlled it better.

“But I have learnt from that.”

However, Mohsni believes his character is also what makes him the player he is.

“I play with anger and fire,” said Mohsni.

“I don’t stay quiet, that’s not me and I can’t change.

“If I change I don’t think I would be the same player.”