Hull City have announced that Marcus Maddison, Eric Lichaj, Jackson Irvine and Stephen Kinglsey won’t play for the remainder of the season after they failed to agree new contracts with the club.
To compound their misery, loanee Malik Wilks will return to Barnsley after his loan expires at the end of June. Wilks is keen to finish the season as a City player, but the Reds are unwilling to allow him to stay with a relegation rival until the end of the season. He will be available for the Tigers’ first two games of the Championship resumption.
Eric Lichaj Among Those to Leave Hull City
‘We Only Want Players Who are Fully Committed’
The four players are under contract until the end of June, so they are officially available for the games against Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City. However, manager Grant McCann said he wants players are fully committed to the cause. Speaking to the club website, he said: “It’s always a tough decision to let lads go who have helped the club on and off the field but all the decisions are made in the best interests of the football club.
“I would like to take this opportunity thank all the players who will be leaving us for the contributions they have made to Hull City and we wish them all the best for the future.
“Ultimately, at this stage of the season, we only want players that are fully committed to the Club’s cause and our focus is firmly on working with the group that remains ahead of the last nine games.
“The confidence in the camp has been clear for all to see since we returned to training and everyone is looking forward to returning to action against Charlton at the weekend.”
Nine Players Stay at the KCOM
It’s not all bad news for Tigers fans, though. The club agreed to keep nine players until the conclusion of the season. Jon Toral, Kevin Stewart, Dan Batty, Angus MacDonald, Robbie McKenzie and Will Mannion have all renewed their contracts until the end of the season. Josh Bowler, Matthew Pennington and Herbie Kane have extended their loan deals to cover the rest of the season.
Main Photo
