Birmingham City are the latest Championship club to announce their retained list, with six players being allowed to leave St Andrews. None of them are major surprises however, with most of them spending time out on loan this season.
Overall it was a decent season for the Blues, who although narrowly missed out on a play-off place demonstrated real progress from last season. Gary Rowett has made decisions on the futures of five players.
Earlier this week, defender Mitch Hancox was told that he was free to leave after he wasn’t offered an extension to his now expired deal. He was actually the longest-serving player in the squad, but has barely even made the bench this season. He has spent time out on loan with Crawley Town, but now he will be searching for a more permanent home.
Five more have also been told that they are free to go. The one who has been most involved in the first-team setup is right back Neal Eardley. The former Oldham Athletic man has however struggled badly with injuries and Rowett feels now is the right time for him to go out and rebuild his career elsewhere. The Welsh international signed in May 2013 after a four-year stint at Blackpool.
The final four to depart will be Mark Duffy, Wes Thomas, David Edgar and Lee Novak. All have spent time away from the club on loan this season. Duffy celebrated promotion at Burton Albion, Thomas had spells with Swindon and Bradford, Edgar as a fringe player at Huddersfield, whilst Novak helped Chesterfield ensure League One safety.
