Lucy Hale pens message to fans on her birthday

Lucy Hale has thanked fans for their support in a heartfelt message to mark her 28th birthday.

The actress turned 28 on Wednesday (14Jun17) and she took to Instagram to reflect on her personal life and career, indirectly touching on the bittersweet ending of her hit show Pretty Little Liars, which ran from 2010 to 2017, while also expressing her surprise about how "blessed" she has been.

"This picture is a perfect depiction of how I feel today," she writes alongside a photo of herself flashing a huge smile. "This last year was incredibly challenging, yet equally as fulfilling. I closed a huge chapter of my life and I'm moving on to the next phase and I could not be more grateful. My life is filled with beautiful family and friends, an angel of a dog, a job I thank God for, a passionate support system (you guys!) and many other blessings."

"Sometimes I don't know how I deserve the life I've been given, but I promise to never take anything for granted," she adds. "Thank you all for sharing many birthdays with me and for joining me on my journey. I wish I could share cake with all of you!"

Lucy has plenty to keep herself busy with following the end of Pretty Little Liars. She has lined up a number of new projects, including films Dude, and Truth or Dare, and TV series Life Sentence. She also has a successful career as a country singer.

On the personal front, Lucy is looking for love after reportedly splitting from boyfriend Anthony Kalabretta in May (17).

She recently discussed how she has started to feel more confident with age.

"I started (Pretty Little Liars) when I was 20, and by the time it's done, I'll be 28," she told StyleWatch last month (May17). "Eight years is a really long time, especially since you're figuring yourself out the most during those years. I feel like I've grown a lot in my acting..."