Matthew "Wardell" Bowman has spoken out about his decision to leave Rogue and rejoin Ghost Gaming just hours before the team's first match in the ESL Pro League.

The 19-year-old linked up Rogue earlier this month after the team's deal for Tsvetelin "⁠CeRq⁠" Dimitrov fell through, only to express his desire to return to Ghost when his new team was about to play its first ESL Pro League match.

That abrupt U-turn has forced Rogue to field Michael "⁠Uber⁠" Stapells as substitute player in the league, in which they currently sit at the foot of the table following back-to-back defeats against OpTic and Complexity.

Wardell explains his sudden Rogue exit

Contacted by HLTV.org, Matthew "⁠WARDELL⁠" Yu explained that his decision to leave Ghost came after a "falling out" with the team and revealed that, just before he was to make his debut with Rogue, he had a change of heart.

"After a falling out with my team I thought it best to part ways," he told HLTV.org. "I did try to fit in and play well with the guys from Rogue, but, for some reason, I could not get my head unwrapped from the previous events that had transpired between the team and myself. "Rogue knew of my indecisiveness, but we all still continued to play and practice together and I even had somewhat convinced myself that this was where my new home would be. "That being said, at the same time I knew I had unfinished business and many things to repair with my old team. Ultimately, yes, prior to the night of the match I knew that if I continued with Rogue I would not be happy with myself. "When a team isolates you because of mistakes you made like my team did, you become hurt and angry and say things that you know you do not mean. I have since apologized to them and they have accepted my apology and welcomed me back, which I am grateful and happy about. "What I am not happy about is those I had to disappoint and let down knowing my career would take a blow doing this. "It was never intentional or for any spying reasons. I had not even had my old team on my friends list etc. I just felt in my gut I was making the wrong choice again and wanted to stop myself from continuing on a path I knew I should not be on, with a team that deserves better then I can give them at this time."

WARDELL goes on to apologise to Rogue and their players for the recent events, and vows to work hard to rebuild his tarnished reputation.