Jason Holt admits his next move after leaving Rangers will be critical to his career.
The midfielder is set to depart Ibrox following a five-year stint with the club.
Holt became a fringe figure when Steven Gerrard arrived in 2018 and has since spent time on-loan at Fleetwood Town and St Johnstone.
With his contract up, he begins the daunting task of earning a deal elsewhere with football still in a state of precarious uncertainty.
The former Hearts star is assessing options in both Scotland and England but knows his timing must be perfect.
He told The Scottish Sun : “You need to get your timing spot on. If you wait a little bit too long, the options you might have in Scotland, those clubs might go for other targets.
“There’s a difference between Scotland looking to start their season and England being a few weeks behind, the English clubs might not be looking to sign players until August.
“In Scotland, if their season is starting in August they might want their squads sorted by the end of July.
“It’s a difficult one, and ultimately one you need to get right for your future.”
Despite barely featuring under Gerrard, leaving Rangers still did not come easily for Holt.
The manager made it clear to the 27-year-old from day one he may struggle for minutes on the pitch, and so it's proved as he prepares to depart.
Holt added: "You never want to leave a club like Rangers but you have conversations with managers and there comes a time when you need a move for the benefit of your career.
"But it’s always a difficult decision. Ask any player that has been at a big club, you want it to go on for ever but the reality is it’s not going to.
"There comes a time when you think you need to further your playing career and that was the case for me.
"When he (Gerrard) got the job, the first thing I did was speak to him to find out where I stood in his plans.
"I was aware he was going to bring in new players, he was fair with me and said he can’t guarantee me the games I’d had in the past.
"As a player you have a decision to make whether you want to be a bit part player or play every week, and I wanted to play every week."
