Former Clarets on the move

18 May 2010 15:41
Doncaster Rovers, Norwich City, Notts County, Sheffield United, Shrewsbury Town, Southampton and Torquay United are all clubs who have confirmed they have ex-Burnley players who are no longer part of their plans. Wayne Thomas - released by SouthamptonProbably the highest profile departure is that of Wayne Thomas at Southampton. He cost them around £1.2 million when Steve Cotterill did the deal of the decade in August 2007 and has failed to establish himself at the south coast club since recovering from a serious knee injury.He played fifteen league games for them during the 2009/10 season, of which just ten were starts, and his last appearance came in a 1-0 home defeat against Wembley bound Swindon in mid-March. Thomas enjoyed his 31st birthday yesterday but is now on the look out for a new club having not been offered a new deal by Saints' boss Alan Pardew.It's the same for another of Cotterill's Burnley signings, John Spicer, who has been released after a two year association with Doncaster Rovers. His twenty Championship appearances this season included just nine starts and he spent the last few weeks of the season in League One with Leyton Orient for whom he played nine times.Spicer, who signed for Burnley at the end of August 2005 is now 26 and, like Thomas, is in search of a new club ahead of the 2010/11 season.Also leaving clubs having not been offered deals are both Ade Akinbiyi and Delroy Facey at Notts County. Neither played a major role in their title winning season and Facey in fact spent a short time out on loan at Lincoln.Ade started just one game for them and otherwise had to settle for an occasional substitute appearance. Again he hasn't played since March and his last goal in English football remains the one he scored in front of the mass of Burnley fans against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the 2008/09 Carling Cup.Glen Little, now 34, signed for Sheffield United last summer after a successful trial during pre-season. Like some of the players named above, he's failed to hold down a place at Bramall Lane and has made just seven League starts alongside nine substitute appearances.After a season where they failed to match the previous year's place in the play offs, manager Kevin Blackwell is making a number of changes to his squad and Glen is one who has been shown the door.Also released are former left back Mo Camara who has left Torquay after half a season on the south coast, Paul McVeigh returned to Norwich last summer but has again been released and Graham Coughlan, who joined the Clarets on loan at the same time as McVeigh, has not been offered a contract at Shrewsbury.Two other players who currently remain at their clubs are Richard Chaplow and Neal Trotman at Preston. Chaplow has had injuries again this season but has played in no less than 31 league games for the Lilywhites.Trotman hasn't featured for North End but has played in no less than 39 League One games for Southampton and Huddersfield and is now involved in the play offs with the latter.Both are still under contract at Deepdale but both are amongst a number of players placed on the transfer list by manager Darren Ferguson and are not part of the club's plans.

Source: FOOTYMAD