ANDY LITTLE last night revealed he is gutted at being axed by Rangers.

And he admitted the biggest disappointment was losing out on the chance to be part of the club's journey back to Scottish football's top table. The Northern Ireland international was told on Tuesday he was being released when his contract expires this summer.

That means Little, who joined Rangers in 2006, will miss out on the club's bid for three-back-to-back titles next season in the SPFL Championship.

He said: "Starting the journey back but not finishing it is something which is hard because I'd have liked to have seen us get all the way back to the top. It wasn't to be so I've got to move on."

Little played a significant part as successive promotions were secured and the Third Division and League One titles were won, amassing 31 goals in all competitions.

Now, however, the 24-year-old is getting ready to start a new chapter of his career as an ex-Ranger as manager Ally McCoist kicks off his rebuiding plans.

He said: "I felt in the last two seasons - and even in my last season in the SPL from January onwards - I made a good impact.

"I feel as though I've contributed quite a lot and next season is going to be a really exciting one at the club.

"I was really looking forward to playing in the Championship.

"It's a much better league than the ones we've been in and I thought it would suit me because teams would come at us and in turn I thought I might get a little more joy going forward."

Little admitted he'd have jumped at the chance to stay with Rangers having moved to Glasgow as a youth player eight years ago.

But having been told that won't happen, he is ready to continue his career somewhere else.

Little addedon the club website: "Had a new contract come my way, I'm sure I would have signed it and I definitely wanted to be there.

"It came as a bit of a shock when I was released, but now I'm looking upon it as a fresh start. It gives me an opportunity to do something new. After eight years at Rangers, that's all I've known and it's all I've wanted to know.

"Now it's exciting for me to be looking somewhere different.

"I'm very sad my time at Rangers has ended but I've got a chance to go wherever I want in the world."