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Ex-Ireland keeper Westwood among 10 players released by Wednesday

Keiren Westwood is among ten players to be released by Sheffield Wednesday following their relega...



Ex-Ireland keeper Westwood amo...
Soccer

Ex-Ireland keeper Westwood among 10 players released by Wednesday

Keiren Westwood is among ten players to be released by Sheffield Wednesday following their relegation to League One. 

The Owls fell back into the third tier of English football following a 3-3 draw with Derby County on the final day of the season.

Joining Westwood on the Wednesday release list is the club's record signing Jordan Rhodes. The Scotland international signed from Middlesbrough for £10million in 2017 but scored just 20 times in his 117 appearances.

Wednesday have been forced to drastically trim their wage bill after ending a nine-year spell in the Championship.

Westwood joined the Hillsborough club from Sunderland in 2014, going on to make nearly 200 appearances between the posts.

The 36-year old hasn't played for his country since a 45-minute appearance in a friendly against Uruguay in 2017. His last involvement in an Ireland squad saw him being an unused substitute in the 2019 European Championship qualifiers with Gibraltar and Georgia.

Speaking to The 42 earlier this year, Westwood hadn't closed the door on an international return.

"[When Mick McCarthy was in charge] He just said: ‘you’re 35 years old, you’ve got three kids, I don’t really want to be dragging you here, there and everywhere because obviously Randy [Darren Randolph] is going to play.’

“I was absolutely fine with that, no problem. He asked me if he needed me would I come, and I said I’d swim across the water to do it, of course."

Westwood added, "You don’t retire from playing for your country – that’s how I see it."

Rhodes and Westwood aren't Wednesday's only big money signings to depart. Adam Reach - a £5.3million signing from Middlesbrough in 2016 - and Joost van Aken (a £2.7m signing from Heerenveen in 2017) also head for the exit.

Joining them are Kadeem Harris, Elias Kachunga, Tom Lees, Matt Penney, Moses Odubajo and Joey Pelupessy.

Former Republic of Ireland U19 international Ciaran Brennan has been given a one-year extension, as have Alex Hunt and Sam Hutchinson.

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Championship Darren Moore Derby Derby County Jordan Rhodes Keiren Westwood League 1 League One Republic Of Ireland Sheffield Wednesday