Former Premier League captain and club cult hero, 36, wakes up unemployed as one of TEN players released
A PREMIER LEAGUE captain has been left unemployed after his EFL club released ten players.
Huddersfield finished the 2024-25 season tenth in League One.
2
2
And less than 48 hours after the end of the campaign, the Terriers announced their retained list.
But, crucially, club cult hero Jonathan Hogg has been let go after 12 years with Huddersfield.
Hogg, 36, captained the Yorkshire club during their stint in the Premier League.
The news of his departure at the end of his contract had already been confirmed.
That allowed him to bid farewell to his adoring Huddersfield supporters after the final game of the season at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday.
The club also let a further nine first-team stars go as their deals expired while goalkeeper Chris Maxwell retired.
Huddersfield said: "As previously disclosed, club captain and legend Jonathan Hogg will wave goodbye to the club this summer following 12 distinguished years in blue and white.
"Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell has also departed the club following his recent retirement.
"Now at the conclusion of their contracts, we will also part ways with nine other players with senior appearances for the club across our First Team and B Team, with Danny Ward, Tom Lees, Matty Pearson, Ollie Turton, Josh Ruffels, Josh Koroma, Scott High, Loick Ayina and Conor Falls all set to depart with our sincere thanks for their service, and best wishes for the future.
"Having unfortunately had his season cut short by an ACL injury, Ward will have the opportunity to continue his rehabilitation with the club until he is fit to move elsewhere."
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
Club World Cup 2025 fixtures and kick- off times
Di Fifa Club World Cup go start dis weekend for United States of America. 32 teams - including Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea - dey go US for di four-week club football competition. Egypt champions Al Ahly, South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Tunisia Esperance also dey on di list. Bifor now, na seven teams bin dey compete for di annual tournament, di new-look Club World Cup go now feature more teams from across all six Fifa confederations, and e go happun once every four years. Dis na eviritin you need to know about di teams and fixtures for di Club World Cup. When di Club World Cup go take place? Di 2025 Club World Cup go begin early mor-mor on Sunday 15 June, di final go happun on Sunday 13 July. Di opening match (by 1am West African time) go see Lionel Messi Inter Miami take on Egyptian side Al Ahly for di Hard Rock Stadium for Miami. Di final go take place one month later for MetLife Stadium for New Jersey. Which teams dey take part for di Club World Cup? 32 teams including two from Premier League - Manchester City and Chelsea - dey go America for di four-week competition. Oda big clubs dey take part include Real Madrid, Harry Kane Bayern Munich and recent Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. See di full groups hia: Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Chelsea, Los Angeles FC Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg Club World Cup fixtures - full schedule Group stage Sunday June 15 Group A: Al Ahly vs Inter Miami - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 1am Group C: Bayern Munich vs Auckland City - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 5pm Group B: PSG vs Atletico Madrid - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 8pm Group A: Palmeiras vs Porto - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 11pm Monday June 16 Group B: Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 3am Group D: Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 8pm Group C: Boca Juniors vs Benfica - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 11pm Tuesday June 17 Group D: Flamengo vs Esperance de Tunis - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am Group F: Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 5pm Group E: River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 8pm Group F: Ulsan HD vs Mamelodi Sundowns - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando; kick off 11pm Thursday June 19 Group G: Al Ain vs Juventus - Audi Field, Washington, D.C; kick off 2am Group A: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 5pm Group A: Inter Miami vs Porto - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 8pm Group B: Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 8pm Group B: PSG vs Botafogo - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm Friday June 20 Group C: Benfica vs Auckland City - Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando; kick off 5pm Group D: Flamengo vs Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 7pm Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Esperance de Tunis - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 10pm Saturday June 21 Group C: Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 2am Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Bosurissa Dortmund - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 5pm Group E: Inter Milan vs Urawa Red Diamonds - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 5pm Group F: Fluminense vs Ulsan HD - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 11pm Group E: River Plate vs Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm Group A: Porto vs Al Ahly - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 2am Group C: Auckland City vs Boca Juniors - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 7pm Group C: Benfica vs Bayern Munich - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm Wednesday, 25 June Group D: Los Angeles FC vs Flamengo - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am Group D: Esperance de Tunis vs Chelsea - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am Group F: Borussia Dortmund vs Ulsan HD - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati; kick off 8pm Group F: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm Group E: Inter Milan vs River Plate - Lumen Field, Seattle; kick off 11pm Group E: Urawa Red Diamonds vs Monterrey - Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles; kick off 11pm Thursday, 26 June Group G: Juventus vs Man City - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm Group G: Wydad AC vs Al Ain - Audi Field, Washington, D.C; kick off 8pm Group H: Al Hilal vs CF Pachuca - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 1am Friday, 27 June Group H: FC Salzberg vs Real Madrid - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 1am Group H: Al Hilal vs CF Pachuca - GEODIS Park, Nashville; kick off 1am Knockout stage - round of 16 Saturday, 28 June Match 49: Group A winners vs Group B runners-up - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia;kick off 5pm Match 50: Group C winners vs Group D runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 9pm Sunday, 29 June Match 51: Group B winners vs Group A runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm Match 52: Group D winners vs Group C runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 9pm Monday, 30 June Match 53: Group E winners vs Group F runners-up - Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte; kick off 8pm Tuesday, 31 June Match 54: Group G winners vs Group H runners-up - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 2am Tuesday, 1 July Match 55: Group H winners vs Group G runners-up - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami; kick off 8pm Wednesday, 2 July Match 56: Group F winners vs Group E runners-up - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 2am Quarter-final fixtures Friday, 4 July Match 57: Winner match 53 vs Winner match 54 - Camping World Stadium, Orlando; kick off 8pm Saturday, 5 July Match 58: Winner match 49 vs Winner match 50 - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia; kick off 2am Match 59: Winner match 51 vs Winner match 52 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta; kick off 5pm Match 60: Winner match 55 vs Winner match 56 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 9pm Semi-final fixtures Tuesday, 8 July Match 61: Winner match 57 vs Winner match 58 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm Wednesday, 9 July Match 62: Winner match 59 vs Winner match 60 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm Fifa Club World Cup Final Sunday, 13 July Match 63: Winner match 61 vs Winner match 62 - MetLife Stadium, New York New Jersey; kick off 8pm
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trent Alexander-Arnold shows off fluent Spanish in speech at Real Madrid unveiling
Trent Alexander-Arnold surprisingly gave his welcome speech entirely in Spanish as Real Madrid unveiled their new signing at the Estadio Bernabeu. Alexander-Arnold, 26, arrives after 20 years at boyhood club Liverpool, joining for a fee of £10m to ensure his participation at the Club World Cup. The right-back was expected to sign for free at the end of June after opting not to extend his contract at Anfield, an announcement which was made at the beginning of May. However, Alexander-Arnold's first words as a Real Madrid player indicate his decision to leave was far from a last-minute one as he showed off his impressive Spanish at the welcome ceremony. 'This doesn't happen every day,' Alexander-Arnold said in the language of his new employers. 'It's a dream come true, I'm very happy and proud to be here. 'I want to show Real Madrid fans how I play. I do realise I'm signing for Real Madrid and that the demands are high, but I'm going to give my all for the team. I want to win many titles and play alongside the best players.' The ceremony kicked off with a montage of his greatest moments for Liverpool, among which included his famous performance against El Clasico rivals Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, where he caught the Blaugrana defence napping from a corner to set up the Reds' crucial fourth goal on the night. Alexander-Arnold was instrumental in Liverpool winning Europe's most prestigious trophy that year, and later added two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and a Club World Cup to his accolade collection across 354 appearances. The Liverpudlian left his home side on imperfect terms, with his first appearance after announcing his departure seeing him booed by the Anfield faithful. However, as he collected his Premier League winners medal on the final day of the season, a teary-eyed Alexander-Arnold was met with cheers in what was heart-warming send-off. Alexander-Arnold will wear the number 12 shirt - forced to ditch his famed 66 due to LaLiga rules - but has also changed the name that will appear on his back, opting for 'Trent' over his surname. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was sure to hail Alexander-Arnold's arrival at the ceremony, who joins in time for the start of the Club World Cup next week. 'This is a very special day for Real Madrid fans worldwide,' Perez said. 'One of the best right-backs in world football who played for one of the best clubs in the world. A legend in the game at 26 years old, today we welcome him to our family, a player who wants to don the famous Real Madrid jersey. 'We'd like to thank you for joining our club we know it means a lot, you could have signed for any club worldwide but you wanted to commit your future to Real Madrid. Our fans will never forget that gesture.' Alexander-Arnold could make his debut in Real's Club World Cup curtain raiser when they take on Saudi side Al-Hilal on Wednesday 18 June at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium.
Metro
44 minutes ago
- Metro
Liverpool and Chelsea sent clear message over Hugo Ekitike transfer
Eintracht Frankfurt have told Liverpool and Chelsea they will not lower their asking price for striker Hugo Ekitike. The highly-rated 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League following a breakout season at Frankfurt. Ekitike had never hit double digits before the 2024-25 campaign but netted 22 goals in his first full season with Eintracht Frankfurt. The Frenchman's form helped Frankfurt finish third in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen and go deep in the Europa League before they were knocked out by eventual winners Tottenham. Both Liverpool and Chelsea have expressed interest in signing Ekitike this summer as Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca look to bring some firepower to Anfield and Stamford Bridge. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Liverpool of course won the Premier League last season but did so playing without a recognised striker for most of the campaign. One of the forwards already at Anfield, Darwin Nunez, is expected to move on amid interest from clubs in Italy, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Chelsea are also interested in a deal for Ekitike despite welcoming England U21 striker Liam Delap to the club last week in a £30m deal from Ipswich Town. The Premier League clubs are hoping Frankfurt will lower their asking price for Ekitike, who they value at €100m (£84m). However, the German club appear ready to stand firm on that valuation, with sporting director Markus Krosche insisting they do not have to sell Ekitike this summer. 'If the price isn't right, then he'll just stay with us,' he told Wiesbadener Kurier. 'We don't have to sell Hugo.' Ex-England defender Micah Richards recently revealed Arsenal legend Thierry Henry's verdict on Ekitike. 'In terms of Ekitike, I've spoken to Thierry Henry about him a lot,' Manchester City hero Richards told The Rest is Football podcast. 'He says he's not [necessarily] a frustrating player, but one minute he looks amazing and the next minute he doesn't really do the basics very well. 'But he said if he gets it right and improves then his ceiling could be very, very high.' Richards, meanwhile, is unsure whether Ekitike is an ideal fit for Slot's Liverpool ahead of their Premier League title defence. He added: 'It depends on how they want to play. Do they want a striker who can stretch or they do they want a striker who is going to come to feet and interlink play? More Trending 'Ekitike is not bad on the ball but he's more of a stretch striker than a [Roberto] Firmino coming in deep and linking play. 'Where does Florian Wirtz fit into that? Where does Dominik Szoboszlai fit into that? Where does Luis Diaz potentially fit into that. 'If they get Wirtz I think they may be looking for more a player who can drop and Diaz can play a little bit deeper. He played a lot as a No.9 this season. 'But talent wise he's definitely got enough to add to this Liverpool side.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: 'He'll probably go there' – Premier League star expects team-mate to join Liverpool MORE: AC Milan in talks to sign second Arsenal star along with Oleksandr Zinchenko MORE: Enzo Maresca told Chelsea fans would have preferred £64m striker to Liam Delap
