IMPORT Henri Sandvik has made a shock departure from the Swindon Wildcats after a meeting with head coach Ryan Aldridge yesterday.

The Finnish forward asked for his contract to be terminated and has left the Link Centre club scrambling to try and find a replacement.

The 27-year-old was left out of the side that beat Bracknell Bees on Sunday, with Kenton Smith returning to the side, but Aldridge is unsure whether that decision was the trigger for the player’s exit.

“He came in yesterday and asked to terminate his contract with us,” said Aldridge, who believes the player will be moving to Europe and not another club in the UK.

“To have someone leave you at this point in the season is pretty tough to swallow.

“It was a bit of a surprise. I played Kenton on Sunday night and I am not sure how much of a part that played.

“I had a feeling on Sunday night that things weren’t right with him. He spent a lot of time on the phone while we were playing.

“That is not my personality (to try and get him to change his mind). Even with guys I have played with and guys I have coached, if the guy doesn’t want to be here as a coach or a team-mate then I don’t want them around either. It’s not the right situation.”

Since the meeting, Aldridge and general manager Steve Nell have been working their contacts in a bid to find an immediate replacement for the forward.

Sandvik had played in 27 games this season, scoring eight goals and assisting with 14, and had proved a key figure in Swindon’s recent 10-game unbeaten run.

The Link Centre boss is already begun the screening process for players who might be available and is hoping to bring a fresh face to the team rather than return to someone who has already played for the Cats previously.

“I have been looking since last night and have been sending out emails to agents and have got some players back that we are sorting through now and trying to get some information on each one and go from there,” Aldridge added.

“We are going to be looking for another forward, someone who maybe puts some more points up than Henri has this year. We’re looking to bring in a pretty good player.

“It is very early days in looking and it is all about trying to get the right guy now in a very short space of time, but I would like someone new if possible.

“The chances are we are looking for someone who is not getting on well at a club, or from a club that is not doing well financially and need to offload players, but it is a tough time of the year because most guys are under contract.

“Getting it done and getting him in for the weekend is cutting it close but it will probably take until Thursday or Friday to sort through what I have got.”