Former Blackburn striker Matt Jansen has revealed his desire to start playing football competitively again.
Jansen, who is currently training with Rovers, has not played since April 2006 and started 16 Premier League games following a motorcycle crash in 2002.
"The hunger's there which was missing," Jansen, 31, told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"I was so disillusioned with the game. I didn't enjoy coming into training because things weren't going as I wanted and I thought that was it."
"I fell out of love with the game because things weren't going my way"
Jansen started his career at Carlisle United in 1995, later turning down the chance to join Manchester United.
He moved to Crystal Palace in 1998, before joining Blackburn for £4.1m less than a year later - scoring on his debut against Tottenham.
The Carlisle-born player also scored the opening goal in Rovers' 2-1 League Cup final win over Spurs in 2002.
"I fell out of love with the game because things weren't going my way and I needed time away from it and I thought that was it," said Jansen.
"I was hanging up my boots and I didn't want to play the game ever again.
"But after two-and-a-half years I have got the hunger back and I've got itchy feet.
"I can't just sit about doing nothing. All I know is football, so I thought I needed to give it another crack."
Jansen was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident in Rome in 2002.
He was in a coma for four days and stayed in hospital for a number of months afterwards.
After struggling to regain form on his return, he went on loan to Coventry City in 2003.
But despite returning to Blackburn, he struggled to handle the pressures of top-flight football and was signed by Bolton manager Sam Allardyce in January 2006, before being released four months later.
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"After the accident I couldn't live up to what I thought I was prior to the accident.
"It took a lot of time for me to get back to my best, and then I didn't believe I was back at my best, so the doubts and lack of confidence started creeping in.
"I got exhausted trying. I was thinking too deeply about everything."
And Jansen also revealed he would jump at the chance to return to Ewood Park.
"Most definitely. I have friends at the club and have always looked at how they are doing.
"If you are asking for my ultimate ambition it would be to wear that blue and white strip again."
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