On-loan Peterborough United striker happy to feel wanted again now he's back at Colchester United

The 22 year-old endured a rocky couple of seasons at Posh after signing on transfer deadline day in August, 2024. There were fallings out with then manager Darren Ferguson before he was sent out on loan to Shrewsbury Town last season.

Ihionvien has now signed a season-long loan deal at his old club and is is set to face Posh tonight when Colchester host Posh in a pre-season friendly at the JobServe Community Stadium (7.45pm kick off).

“I’m happy,” Ihionvien told the Colchester Gazette. “There were a few options, but I chose to come here. I thought it was the best place for me to come, just because I’ve been here before and the people now around me can get the best out of me. I feel like it’s important to feel wanted.

“When I left (for Shrewsbury), I thought that was the best decision for me, at the time. But over the period of time I was away, I just felt less and less wanted by the management staff, so it was important for me to go somewhere this year where it’s not just me wanting to be there, but they want me to be there as well.

“They want me around – not just the owners and directors, but the staff as well. I’m blessed to have a lot of people who believe in me. It’s just about proving those people who have stuck by me in tough moments right and showing that their trust and belief in me is not in vain.

“I feel like I’ve come back a different player. When I was here before, maybe I didn’t truly know what I was capable of. At times when I felt I could do things, I was too scared to try and do it, in case it went wrong.

“But with all of the different experiences I’ve had being away with the manager that I had and the injury, I’ve had a lot of time off the pitch to think about the game and I feel like I’ve come back now more confident in myself and a better player as a result of that.”