Experienced free agent Graeme Murty is hoping to win a move to Southampton after leaving Reading.
Skysports.com looks at the summer's transfer bargains
Free agent Graeme Murty is hoping to win a move to Southampton after ending his long association with Reading.
The 34-year-old was released by Reading at the end of last season after over ten years at the Berkshire club.
Murty, who has his testimonial at Reading later this month, admits he was disappointed, but not surprised at being told he was no longer wanted by new Royals boss Brendan Rodgers and he is determined to prove that he still has a lot to offer.
"It's disappointing, I wasn't totally surprised but the club is going in a new direction with a new manager, new ethos and it will be interesting to see how they cope with that this year," Murty told
Sky Sports.
"It is an unusual situation for me to be in [being a free agent] as I have not been here before, but Southampton have been gracious enough to allow me come down to train.
"I have played a couple of practice matches with the squad and hopefully I can show the team what I am made of."
Open to offers
Murty insists he is open to all offers and that it is a big challenge for him to find a new club for the start of the new season.
"I have got a totally open mind. I have said before it has to be the right package, it has to be the right challenge for me," he added.
"I have still got things to prove to myself; still got things I want to prove to people who let me go last year so it's going to be a big, big thing for me.
"I am looking at it as a big challenge to go and prove my worth once again."
Murty also paid tribute to his agent for setting up the trial at Southampton and he is happy with how it has gone so far at St Mary's.
"What you do when you get told you've been released, you get on the phone to your agent you scream down the phone to him for a while saying 'find me a job'.
"My agent has been brilliant. He has kept me really, really calm, kept my mind focused and more importantly he has got me to do a pre-season somewhere that's taking real good care of me at Southampton.
"I have the added advantage of coming into Southampton, I've had an organised pre-season, worked really hard with the players there and I think that is the best thing for me rather than doing it at home."
Bright future
Murty admits he would jump at the chance of a move to the Saints, feeling the future is bright following the takeover of the club by Swiss businessman Markus Liebherr.
"It's a massive club. It's an exciting place to be as well if you look at the guy who has just taken over.
"He has got a lot of money to spend, has got a definite idea about where they want to go but it is also a big challenge with the ten-point deficit.
"They are also trying to scrap their way back up through the leagues and it is something that would be an exciting project to be part of."
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