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Yacouba Sylla wants to return to France after growing frustrated at his lack of match action, claiming he did not come to Aston Villa to see the sights.

Sylla played a part in Villa’s late survival revival last season after joining the claret and blues from the French Second Division in January 2013.

But he has been restricted to a bit-part role during the current campaign with just six starts and seven substitute appearances in league and cup.

The 23-year-old former Clermont Foot midfielder is contracted to Villa until summer 2016 but wants to return on loan to France for regular football.

And Sylla revealed his frustrations at being left on the sidelines for most of this season.

He said there were clubs in France interested in taking him on a temporary basis and revealed his agent is in the process of trying to arrange a move.

“I am always on the bench and never on the pitch,” said Sylla.

“Even if I do get to visit some wonderful stadiums and that life here is different than in France, I am not happy because I am not playing. I am not here on tourism.

“Okay, my situation is not as dramatic as I have just made it sound but for somebody who loves football and does not get to play, I cannot be happy because I am not expressing myself on the pitch every weekend.”

Sylla asked to go out on loan before Christmas but was told by Paul Lambert he must remain at Villa because the club needed him during the second half of the season.

The Mali international insists he is “not the same player” since joining Villa and admits he is struggling to understand the manager’s reluctance to play him.

Sylla remains hopeful he will get a run out in Villa’s final four Premier League games of the season against Swansea (a), Hull (h), Manchester City (a) and Tottenham (a).

“It encourages me to keep hope,” he said.

“I am working hard in training.

“Last season I contributed to keeping the club from relegation. This season it is more complicated.

‘‘There have been decisions I did not understand and I have not got the game time I had hoped for.

“There are a lot of teams I could contribute to. I think I will leave on loan at the end of the season. I could already have done so in December but the gaffer told me that he was counting on me.”

Sylla, who is close friends with Villa striker Christian Benteke, started seven games and made four substitute appearances during the second half of the 2012-13 campaign.

But after falling out of favour he acknowledges his best chance of first-team football is if he can go out on loan, preferably to a French club, next season.

“What I want is to go back to France on loan for one year to a good club,” he added.

“A team with a good project. My agent is working for that. There are interested clubs.

“Again, the most important thing for me is to play. I am no longer the same man, not the same player. I cannot wait to change all that again.”