Kyle Ferguson admits he took being released by Rangers hard. 

Son of club legend, Barry, Kyle revealed he lost his love for the game after leaving the Ibrox academy aged 13. 

The defender, now 23, even said he almost quit football after his release.

After spells at Kilmarnock and Airdrie's acadmies, he made his senior debut at Clyde under his dad before leaving Scottish football behind.

However, moves abroad to the US and Sweden helped to revive his career.

He told Football Scotland: "It's all I've never known, is football. Even as a kid all I ever did was play football. But when I got to the age of about 13 when I got released from Rangers, I took it so bad because I had so much love for football.

"I had grown up with it. When I was a kid at Rangers I thought 'this is what my life's going to be. I'm going to train with Rangers all the way through, get to 18-19 and make my debut and play for Rangers for the rest of my life.'

"And when you get released at such a young age, for me especially, it took a big toll.

"I was thinking 'do I want to play football any more?' I kind of lost a love for the game.

"But then I quickly regained it as soon as I went back and played with my pals, and just played football for the enjoyment again. I think that's when I got the most out of myself."

On moving abroad, he added: "It's helped me learn a lot because it's all different styles of play. In Sweden it was more slower paced, keep the ball, every team would come and play in a low or medium block and you'd have to pass your way through.

"Ireland was more similar to what I've known in Scotland, it was a bit more physical. But all these things help. When in Sweden I definitely became better in terms of wanting to play football and being comfortable passing the ball from the back. I think Ireland matured me a lot more as a player, because you're playing against grown men that have been about and strikers that are experienced.

"And then I went to the National League and it was more physical as well, every week I was coming up against strikers that are the same height and size as me so I'm no longer the one that's dominant.

"I think it all comes together as experience for me, especially experiencing so many different cultures. In Sweden I was away from my family, I only seen them once. It makes you mature and grow as a person which has helped me living here myself as well."

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