Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough has today confirmed that Tomas Egert will not be offered a contract and leaves the club with immediate effect. He was out of contract at the end of last season, but had been training with the club. Clough says that they simply cannot afford to keep him on board.
Egert has only made three substitute appearances since joining the club during the previous campaign. He was spotted by chance as he had been studying at the University of Derby, where he has been doing a degree in Sports Management. Clough admitted he ideally wanted to keep him, but he would only act as cover for Burton Albion. This will serve as positive news for Walsall, where the versatile defender has been on trial.
The 23-year-old has spent the vast majority of his career playing in his native Czech Republic. He signed a short-term deal at the Pirelli Stadium in March, and made his debut against eventual title winners Wolverhampton Wanderers shortly afterwards.
Clough simply states there is no room in the club finances to keep him on board,
“We can’t manage to fit him into the budget with the five defenders we have already got. In an ideal world we would love to take him as cover – but that’s what he would be.
“He wants to be in the starting line up as well. But we have looked at him at right back and centre half and we don’t think he’s better than those five.
“We have five out and out defenders. Reece Hutchinson becomes an option, Matty Lund can play right back, Lucas Akins can slot in there – that’s going to be the cover for us.”
John Brayford, Jake Buxton, Ben Turner, Kyle McFadzean and Damien McCrory will battle it out for the defensive positions this summer, as well as other youngsters or midfielders that can act as cover.
