Love Island is back on our television screens for another summer, and there is one contestant many from Colchester will be keeping an eye on. 

Ex-U’s player Tyrique Hyde may be used to scoring on the pitch, but in an interview in the run-up to the new Love Island series, he has admitted that off the pitch he has had less luck.

When asked why he decided to go on Love Island, he said: “I’ve never had a girlfriend and I haven’t been on holiday for ages so it’s perfect.

“In the past I’ve not been ready to commit to a relationship but now I’m open to settling down with the right girl.

“I’ll bring vibes, confidence, good energy and honesty.”

Something else Mr Hyde, 24, will be bringing from the football pitch into the Love Island villa is a direct style of play – keeping quiet on something to keep the peace is not exactly his go-to tactic.

“I don’t sit on the fence, if I have an opinion I will speak up – I’m also not afraid to go after what I want," he said. 

And he may have a yard or two on some of the other islanders, with one Toby Aromolaran – a former contestant on the TV show – a close friend with the two being in the same class at school.

Footballers are known to be superstitious, but star signs and astrology are things which are a major turn-off – or as modern phraseology would have it, they give him ‘the ick’.

If he does strike lucky, the former U’s midfielder will hope not to have a repeat of one of his worst dates, when his card was repeatedly declined at the end of the evening.

“I was in a restaurant on a date and when I went to pay the bill my card declined, but I knew I had money in my account,” he explained.

“I tapped it a second and third time but it kept declining and the waiter started shouting ‘it’s declined’ which was getting me all hot and flustered.

“The girl I was on a date with then offered to pay and as soon as we were walking back to the car, I sent her the money back – I realised that my card had expired.

“I told the girl this, but I don’t think she believed me.”

The first episode of the new Love Island series will air at 9pm on Monday, June 5 on ITV2.