Ryan McLaughlin says experience has taught him not to panic after finding himself without a club on the dawn of a new season.
The Northern Ireland international parted company with Rochdale back in June after two-and-a-half-years with the club.
The 26-year-old has spent the summer back in Belfast and has been going through the rigours of pre-season training on his own at home.
"I hope to have something sorted in the next couple of weeks. I am a free agent at the minute and we are working on things," McLaughlin told Belfast Live.
"The season starts next week so hopefully I can get something sorted soon.
"I have been training away by myself and I am feeling fit and I am raring to go.
"I was at Rochdale last season and unfortunately they got relegated to League Two. But I had a great time there over the two-and-a-half years.
"It was just time to move on. I am looking forward to a new challenge elsewhere."
McLaughlin admits the solitary approach to training has been tough this summer, but insists he will be ready to hit the ground running when he lands a new club.
"Pre-season training on your own is tough," he added.
"You have your good days and your bad days, and the discipline is the thing you need. It is like boxers doing the hard yards by themselves.
"I am doing my running by myself. It would be nicer to do it in a group environment, but those are the cards I have been dealt.
"I have been in this position before. As soon as I left Liverpool I signed for Oldham the week after the season had started. So it is nothing new to me, it is something I have done before and I have that experience behind me.
"I am confident things will work out. The right opportunity just hasn't presented itself in the past few weeks but hopefully that changes."
