DAVID Mannix had the opportunity of playing top-flight football in Norway next season.

After earning promotion with provincial side HamKam, the Liverpudlian could have pitted his wits against Rosenborg, who twice recently beat Valencia in the Champions League.

But Mannix is happy swapping Norway's Tippeligaen for the blood and thunder of League Two, following his return to Accrington Stanley yesterday.

It is the 22-year-old midfielder's second move to Stanley, although Reds fans barely saw a peek of him during his first ill-fated spell at the Fraser Eagle Stadium.

On loan from Liverpool, he suffered a knee injury on his debut against Grimsby in November 2006, and immediately headed back to Anfield.

Two months later, Mannix penned a three-year deal with unfancied HamKam, but only now feels it is the right time to leave Scandinavia as he looks forward to making his debut tomorrow against Wycombe.

"It's great to be back in England," said the former Liverpool academy star.

"I enjoyed it out in Norway, but it was the right time to come back to England and further my career. I'm hoping I can do that at Accrington.

"I didn't score any goals over there, but I played a lot of games in a holding midfield role which was good.

"But the style of play in Norway is a lot different to the English game, which probably suits me a lot more. That's why I've decided to come back.

"I know John Coleman quite well, so when I wanted to come back, he was the first person I contacted.

"I spoke to him and once I knew he was interested, we took it from there.

One of Mannix's reasons for moving to Norway was to improve his fitness, after enduring an injury-plagued start to his professional career.

Despite featuring regularly for Liverpool's reserves, his progress was curtailed by knee problems, and one serious injury kept him out of competitive action for three years.

His knee flared up in his one-off Stanley appearance, but Mannix is confident that problem is a thing of the past.

"Injuries were never a problem in Norway," he added. "I missed five training sessions in a full year.

"They concentrate on fitness a lot over there and that's been good for me, because I obviously I needed a bit more fitness into me."

"I could take my time and concentrate, not just on the football, but on my fitness.

"I'm quite pleased that I've done that in one year. I've only had niggles - which everyone gets.

"I said I was probably going to go over there for 18 months or so, and take it from there."

After failing to make the breakthrough at Liverpool, Mannix is now desperate to make a big name for himself at Accrington.

He said: "I've not come here to sit on the bench. I'm here to play games and that's hopefully what I can do.

"I think I'm a better player now having been in Norway.

"Being at Liverpool, you don't really get experience of League football.

"I got a real taste for League football, just coming to Accrington for that one game.

"Coming back to England from Norway, I've got the taste for it again. I'm just looking forward to it.

"My passing is probably my main attribute. But I also get stuck in, and I see myself as a reader of the game.

"Hopefully, I can help the team push up the table."