Doug Loft is confident he can resurrect his league career after being let go by Albion.

The 22-year-old midfielder was one of nine senior professionals, and 14 in all, released by the Seagulls this week.

He expects to be given a chance to link up again with League Two high-flyers Dagenham and Redbridge, where he played on loan last season.

The former Hastings midfielder is also hopeful of other offers coming in for his services.

Loft played 11 games, including ten starts, for Dagenham in the second half of last season before being recalled when injuries struck.

He said: “There’s an offer there. I think they want to sign me.

“But I’ve had some other interest as well.

“It’s disappointing to be let go by Brighton because I thought I played well at the end of the season and helped keep us up.

“We were playing well as a team and we had the same team week in and week out, which helped.

“I thought the balance of the side was just right.”

Loft was a surprise signing from Hastings by Mark McGhee midway through the 2005-06 season.

He had made just six league starts for the Seagulls when Micky Adams decided to lend his services to Dagenham.

The recall came when Albion, by now under Russell Slade’s command, ran out of bodies in the run-up to the trip to MK Dons in early April.

Loft started that game and looked tidy on the ball at times.

He was replaced by Chris Birchall for the tide-turning win at Hereford three days later but was a regular from then on, operating in a tucked-in midfield role to the right of centre.

His only previous starts during the season came in a pair of successful knockout ties, at home to Manchester City in the Carling Cup and away to Northampton in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Other highlights of his Albion days will include a dramatic last-minute equaliser at Cheltenham in the FA Cup two seasons ago.

Although that late run in the side gave him hope of a new deal, he admitted his heart started to sink when he heard his midfield sidekick Tommy Fraser was not being retained.

Loft said: “I probably had a 50-50 feeling about things.

“I heard about three others not getting anything when they found out before me.

“When John Sullivan, Kerry Mayo and Frase didn’t get anything I thought there was probably a big clearout coming.”