Southampton midfielder Steven Davis admits he received hate mail from Rangers fans when he chose to leave.

Davis, however, insists he retains a good relationship with the Gers support.

"Some fans were understanding but I got some abuse from others. You get hate mail and different things have been said, which isn't nice.

"But that's a minority and I ­certainly don't focus on that or let it affect the way I think about ­Rangers and the fans.

"The fans think the players are jumping ship, but I was actually glad Rangers eventually got a fee for me. I've got a lot of respect for the chairman at Southampton for agreeing to pay a fee in the end, so at least Rangers got something.

"I'm delighted to be at Southampton now and I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my career. ­

"Today's game against Manchester United is just the sort of game I joined the club for.

"Southampton have had a lot of success over the last couple of years and both the chairman and manager have got a lot of ambition.

"We're under no illusions it will be a big challenge in the Premier League, but it's one we are all up for."