MICHAEL Gray has become the first victim of manager Mark Hughes' summer shake-up.

The 32-year-old full-back, who joined Blackburn on a free transfer from Sunderland in 2004, has been told his contract will not be renewed by the club when it expires at the end of June.

The writing was effectively on the wall when Hughes signed two left-backs in Stephen Warnock and Bruno Berner during the January transfer window.

And the subsequent form of Warnock, who has quickly established himself as a favourite with the fans since his £1.5 million move from Liverpool, has persuaded Hughes that he can now afford to let Gray leave Ewood Park.

Brought in by Graeme Souness in January 2004, Gray spent three years at Blackburn and he perhaps enjoyed his best spell in the side during his first season at Ewood, when he brought some much needed stability to the left-back spot as the club successfully avoided relegation.

However, a change of manager the following September led to Gray losing his place in the side and he was eventually farmed out to Leeds United, where he spent the rest of the campaign on loan.

At that point, it looked like Gray might have played his last game for Blackburn, but after a permanent move to Elland Road collapsed, he was then unexpectedly given a second chance by Hughes after impressing the Rovers boss with his attitude in training.

Gray went on to make 37 appearances as Rovers finished sixth in the Premiership under Hughes and he was rewarded with a new contract last summer.

However, his form during the first half of last season was rather more patchy, and after losing his place in December, he was then sent out on loan to Leeds once again, where he was part of the team that got relegated to League One.

United's subsequent demotion appears to have closed the door on a permanent move to Elland Road so Gray now finds himself looking for a new club.