ANOTHER THREE IRISHMEN have entered free agency as clubs in England continue to make decisions regarding the players they intend to retain for next season.
Former Republic of Ireland international Paul Green has been released by Crewe Alexandra, while Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon have told Mark Byrne and Dylan Connolly respectively that they are not being offered new deals.
After the League Two season was declared officially over this week due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Crewe were promoted as runners-up. However, Green won’t be joining the club in League One next season.
The midfielder signed for the Gresty Road outfit from Oldham Athletic in 2018. Now 37, he moves on after making 79 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Green won 21 senior caps for Ireland between 2010 and 2014, one of which came as a substitute in the Euro 2012 defeat to Spain.
Connolly joined AFC Wimbledon from Dundalk in January 2019. The 25-year-old winger played 18 times for the League One club before spending last season on loan at Bradford City in League Two.
There’s a silver lining for Mark Byrne, who has been invited to return to Gillingham for pre-season training as he continues his recovery from the anterior cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered while playing for the League One side last December.
While he has been officially released for now, manager Steve Evans says he’s open to offering the 31-year-old midfielder another contract should he prove his fitness.
Byrne has made 157 appearances for Gillingham since his 2016 move from Newport County.
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a lot of people thought fergie had lost the plot when he sold hughes, ince and kanchelskis that summer
@kris hetherington yea I thought it was the end of the world that summer . especially with sparky going he was and always will be one of the heroes.fergie knew what he was doing all the same.even the class of 92 were shocked at the time but it gave them the extra bit of confidence that the greatest manager of all time 100% believed in them.oh sparky wha a player they don’t make m like that anymore
Sparky was my hero in them days was so delighted when fergie brought him back and then devastated when he left again. Always went for the spectacular and 9 out of 10 times it came off.
Feel sorry for Moyes obviously a sell to buy policy in place. I suppose he feels he needs a backup forward in case Defoe gets injured so has to sell Van Aanholt to get Ulloa and Gibson.
Van aaronholt to palace is a good signing very attack minded
But he’s a defender and he has one flaw, he can’t defend.
Brady to West Ham
She’s already there