aizy: "I'm happy that I'll get to try something new"

The 24-year-old shared his reaction to being placed on the transfer list after nearly four years with North and discussed what he is looking for in his next team.

Philip "⁠aizy⁠" Aistrup's time as an active player in North came to an end on Tuesday, when the Copenhagen-based organization announced that he and Mathias "⁠MSL⁠" Lauridsen had been placed on the transfer list as part of a plan to move towards a talent development program, with Kristoffer "⁠Kristou⁠" Aamand rejoining the roster and Rasmus "⁠kreaz⁠" Johansson coming in on a trial basis.

HLTV.org had the chance to talk to aizy after the announcement to get his thoughts on the surprising move and his expectations for the future as he looks to find a new team after almost four years under the same banner.

The 24-year-old reflected on the last few months, during which the Danish team continued to struggle for consistency despite the change from Markus "⁠Kjaerbye⁠" Kjærbye to Jonas "⁠Lekr0⁠" Olofsson as they were unable to return to the top-20 after shaky results both at top tournaments and at the lower tier.

"We basically lacked consistency, we would play close matches against the top teams, but then the next day we could lose to a team that on paper we shouldn't lose to," aizy shared. "I think that slowly drained the trust and maybe also the ability to believe how far we would come as a team.

"I would like to think that we tried everything before making a roster change, but I think we reached a point where we didn’t really take any steps forward. I do think changes were needed, I don’t know what exactly, though."

aizy went on to explain why North's new philosophy did not align with his personal ambitions and how that, albeit surprising and sudden, made the organization's decision acceptable and perhaps even a blessing in disguise. "I didn’t really expect good news, but I didn’t expect the news that I had been benched," he said. "North wanted to restructure and do a new project for 2021, which is a talent development program, and MSL and I were not part of those plans. Those were not plans that would meet the ambitions I have as a player.

"I also think it’s very healthy for me to try something new, so I'm not offended or anything by the decision. I'm happy that I'll get to try something new after almost four years with North. I will miss North, though."

Looking ahead, aizy spoke about what his next challenge could be, stressing that he does not close the door on any team: "I’m definitely very open to all kinds of offers and I look at everything with an open mind, trying to see every aspect."

"I wouldn’t mind playing on an English-speaking team at all," he said when asked about the possibility of joining a non-Danish project or moving to a different region entirely. "I won’t shut any offers down as I'm very open, but a move out of Europe is a big thing, so it has to feel right!"