Michael Duberry is prepared to drop out of the Football League to keep playing following his exit from Oxford United.

After 50 appearances in two years with the U’s he was one of a dozen players released by the club at the end of last season.

It is only the second time the former Chelsea and Leeds defender has faced a summer as a free agent.

Duberry holds no grudges about the decision, but after fighting back to fitness from a serious neck injury last season the 37-year-old is not ready for retirement.

With most clubs returning for pre-season in a fortnight, the veteran centre back is preparing to begin the hunt for his eighth employer.

Duberry thinks he is capable of playing even higher than League Two, but is open to playing in non-league for the first time if it means he can stay close to his home in Hertfordshire.

He said: “It needs to be local and if it happens to be out of the league, then so be it. “I’ll be honest, I feel I can play in League One.

“But the demands of training at that level week-in week-out it would be more likely for my body to break down.

“I’m relaxed in a sense, but I’m not sat here thinking I’m high in demand like a top star, but I know my worth and hopefully someone else knows it.

“I’m starting to put the feelers out and see what my options are.

“I want to play football and I’ll be bitterly disappointed if no-one wants me.”

After missing the first half of last season due to the neck injury, Duberry admitted United’s decision not to offer a new contract was not totally unexpected.

Despite the exit, it has not soured his time with the club. “It’s not a nice feeling, everyone wants to be loved, but I think in this day and age it’s football,” he said.

“With one and two-year deals being handed out, especially in the lower leagues, it happens more often than not – I didn’t take it personally at all.

“Even the last year the response from members of the medical staff, my teammates and the fans when I went to games was great.

“Even though I’m positive, there are days where you’ve got no feelings in your hands and you can’t do a press up.

“Then you get tweets saying ‘you can get through it’, which definitely helped.

“I loved my time at Oxford.”