David Noble has thanked Bristol City's fans for keeping him going in his tough times at Ashton Gate.

The midfielder has signed on loan for Yeovil Town for the rest of the season and accepts his Robins career is now over.

Noble has not featured for Gary Johnson's first-team since December, so his contract will not be renewed this summer.

He said: "In the summer I am going to be looking for a new club – City have made that public and I didn't want to go into that free-for-all with no- one having seen me for four or five months.

"I need to come and play some games to put myself in the shop window.

"Teams are going to want to see you play, so that was one of the reasons for it.

"I want to play at Championship level – every footballer wants to play at the best level they can but we will have to see what comes up in the summer."

Despite his inactivity, Noble remains tremendously popular with the City faithful.

"Their support has been big for me," he said. "It has been very difficult. The four seasons I have been with City I have always had little periods when I have been out the team and then come back in and the fans I feel like me and that kept me going.

"Being around the place and hearing little comments like 'keep going' and 'keep your head up, you will get back in'.

"Everything the fans have said to me has kept me positive. I feel I could have done a job – like I did last year.

"I have only played five games and I scored one goal in my first appearance, but it has been difficult for me but that is in the past now.

"I have no grudges. Football is a game of opinions. One minute you are liked and the next minute you are not so it is one of those things."

Noble admits he has to prove himself over again at Yeovil.

"I think everyone always has something to prove," he said. "A lot of the City fans will say I have proved myself and maybe some think I should be in the team and some don't but football is a game of opinions but I think from every game to the next you have got to prove yourself and this is a great opportunity for me to do so."

Noble trained with his new team-mates for the first time yesterday.

The Glovers are two points from safety at the wrong end of League One.

"Hopefully I can bring a lot," he said. "I can bring some creativity and I can keep the ball and a bit of experience. "I don't feel old but at 27 I and getting older and maybe I can bring a calm head and hopefully a couple of goals.

"It is very much a relegation fight. It is very tight down there and there is no time to bed in. You are just straight in and looking for three points."

Noble's good friend and former City colleague Richard Keogh is at fellow strugglers Carlisle United.

"When he saw it on the news yesterday he was on the phone," said Noble.

"They are only three points above us and we have got two games in hand so it is going to be interesting."