ROVERS defender Jeff Kenna today admitted he is devastated at the decision to give him a free transfer.

Ewood chief Graeme Souness has called time on the Republic of Ireland international's Rovers career, six years after he first signed in a £1.5 million deal from Southampton.

Kenna has struggled to pin down a regular starting place at Ewood in the last two seasons after a succession of injury problems have taken their toll.

And the club have now decided the 31-year-old can leave for nothing following the signing of Millwall's Lucas Neill last week.

"I'm absolutely gutted, this is a huge disappointment for me," said Kenna.

"At the end of the season I went to see the manager and I had a really positive chat with him about my future role at Blackburn.

"I really did think I had a future here, I worked incredibly hard over the summer and I began the season full of hope and enthusiasm.

"But they have told me I can leave on a free and it seems like it's all done and dusted for me at Blackburn now.

"I don't want to leave Blackburn but I know I'm not going to get another opportunity here and that is hard to take."

Kenna is one of the last links with the team which won the Premier League title in 1995.

Last season, however, he only made a handful of appearances after losing his place to John Curtis, eventually finishing the season on loan at Tranmere.

First Division Stockport could now step in for the experienced defender after being linked with a move for the Irishman at the weekend.