Adelakun to Walsh: The 31 former Bristol City players becoming free agents this summer

There is an air of anticipation as May gives way to June and the prospect of the transfer window opening, the start of pre-season and fixture release date looms, but for many professionals it’s a time of considerable uncertainty and trepidation.

For the hundreds of free agents across the Premier League and EFL, many aren’t afforded the pick of their desired next club and have to move where the opportunity is, if there’s any opportunity at all.

Most of the 72 clubs outside of the top flight have now confirmed their retained lists for the summer, while some transfer activity has occurred throughout the Football League - primarily involving Rotherham United - but the bulk of free agency is yet to be conducted.

We’ve taken a look at those whose deals expire in less than 30 days who have previously played for Bristol City, either as loan or permanent players, and while it serves little relevance to the Robins in 2024, think of it as a kind of where are they now-type review.

Some former City players have already made moves with Connor Lemonheigh-Evans swapping Stockport County for MK Dons and the Millers picking up Liam Kelly, but below are the 31 remaining free agents with a City affiliation…

Hakeeb Adelakun

He’s been in and out of the reckoning for Lincoln City since leaving Bristol in 2021, but after this season, the forward’s stock has risen sharply given he was hugely influential in Doncaster Rovers’ remarkable run into the League One play-offs.

The 27-year-old scored nine goals and provided seven assists after moving to the Eco-Power Stadium on loan as they won 10 straight games to gatecrash the post-season. With the Imps deciding to part ways, he will be wanted by many at League Two level and probably above.

Albert Adomah

Even at 36, the universally-loved winger continues to live the dream as earlier this year he recorded a new record for appearances in the Championship, making his 525nd for boyhood club QPR.

Sadly for him, his time in west London is coming to an end but Adomah has no plans to retire as he looks to fulfil a wish of playing at least until his age matches his shirt number of 37. "I still believe I could do one more season in the Championship or two or three more at a lower level," he told the BBC.

John Akinde

One of the few still playing to have worn the colours of City and Rovers, having been loaned to the Gas during the 2010/11 season, a move that simply doesn’t happen anymore. Now 37, and released by Colchester United, Akinde is looking for his 10th permanent destination across a 17-year professional career which started in non-league with Ebbsfleet, with City giving him his first chance in the EFL.

Tyreeq Bakinson

The midfielder is on the move having been released by Sheffield Wednesday where he was unable to force his way into the team following their promotion to the Championship. That subsequently led to a loan to Charlton Athletic where he spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.

Latest reports indicate Wycombe Wanderers are favourites to sign the 25-year-old who played 54 games for City after joining from Luton Town in his late teens.

Elliott Bennett

The former Robins loanee is leaving Shrewsbury Town, where he was reunited with Steve Cotterill, the man who brought him to Ashton Gate from Norwich City in 2015.

The versatile midfielder was in and out of the Shrews side last term but at 35 has a wealth of experience to offer somebody in the Football League.

Robbie Cundy

The 27-year-old turned down a contract offer at City two years ago, just as he had started to break into the first-team, because rather admirably, he wanted to play more senior football and felt he would achieve that by dropping down a division with Barnsley.

Unfortunately a series of injury issues have prevented that as he’s only played 31 games for the Tykes, with his last in April 2023, as he battled hip and glute problems. Is now a free agent once again.

Greg Cunningham

Preston North End are letting the full-back go for a second time as after leaving City in 2015, the Irishman has enjoyed two significant spells at Deepdale, and even a third one on loan, making 184 appearances over six-and-a-half years in the north west.

Now 33, and with just 12 appearances last season, he may have to drop down a league to continue his career in the EFL.

Bobby Decordova-Reid

Has been in talks over an extension since January and with Fulham yet to confirm their retained list, it will be interesting to see if there’s been any progression with June 30 not far away.

Much like his time at Ashton Gate, Decordova-Reid has seemingly gotten better with each passing season in the Premier League and while he’s now 31, with 41 appearances over the 2023/24 he surely remains part of Marco Silva’s plans moving forward.

Mo Eisa

After a forgettable 12 months at City, Eisa has been a consistent goalscorer in the third tier with double-figures seasons for Peterborough United and MK Dons (twice) but lost his way a little over 2023/24 with an unproductive loan at Exeter City.

The Dons have decided to let him go but his pedigree in League One over the last five years should mean he remains at that level.

Ryan Fredericks

An unremarkable spell in BS3 at the start of the 2015/16 season, which was cut short due to "personal reasons" was followed by Fredericks establishing himself at Fulham in the Championship and then West Ham in the Premier League, although he was more of a squad player at the latter destination.

That profile has continued at Bournemouth where he’s made just 13 appearances over two seasons and although it’s yet to be confirmed, looks likely to be released later this month.

Ben Gladwin

The Crawley Town club captain is moving on following their promotion into League One in which he played an increasingly minimal role having not featured since December primarily down to injuries.

Gladwin is one of several on this list to have made a loan appearance for City during those early Championship days, having been let out by QPR and he’s gone on to feature for Blackburn Rovers, MK Dons and Swindon Town.

Ben Hamer

Was last seen leaping across his goal in front of the Atyeo Stand as Scott Twine scored his first in City colours but Hamer’s two-year stint at Watford is coming to an end.

The Chard-born, boyhood City fan is now 36 but has 394 appearances under his belt and, at the very least, resembles a high-level Championship back-up (anyone know of any potential clubs, cough, cough?), if not a reliable presence as No1.

Tom Heaton

Among a clutch of former Robins goalkeepers, Heaton’s contract at Manchester United is up after not playing a single game in 2023/24 and only three overall since he returned to Old Trafford from Burnley in 2021.

That said, the 38-year-old revealed he was “open to extending his stay” when quizzed about his situation last month which isn’t beyond the realms of possibility given United triggered a 12-month extension last year despite limited game time as he serves as a veteran No3.

Wayne Hennessy

Gary Johnson was in charge of City when the goalkeeper arrived on loan as a teenager in 2006 from Wolves to be Adriano Basso’s No2 while Chris Weale was injured.

Hennsessy never made a single City appearance but 18 years later, and he’s put together a pretty good career for himself with 336 first-team appearances, including 293 in the Premier League and 109 Welsh caps. He’s now been released by Nottingham Forest and is recovering from Achilles injury.

Saikou Janneh

One of the bright lights of the Robins academy after his prolific spell at non-league level with Torquay United, Janneh is looking for a new club having failed to make much of an impact at Cambridge United.

The Gambian scored just twice in 34 appearances for the Us and also spent some time on loan at AFC Wimbledon.

Herbie Kane

The prodigal son who left City for Liverpool when he was just 15, is available as a free agent having built a good career for himself in the Championship and League One with Barnsley.

Now 25, the midfielder has amassed 221 appearances, including loan spells at Doncaster and Oxford, and is surely targeting a move further up the food chain given the Tykes would ideally liked to have kept him.

Todd Kane

The former serial Chelsea loanee, which included a brief two-month stop at Ashton Gate during the 2014/15 double-winning season, established himself in the Championship with QPR and Coventry City but has experienced something of a strange 12 months.

Having been without a club to kick-off the 2023/24 season, he signed for Gibraltar-based Manchester 62 before he then earned a short-term contract at Stockport County who have neglected to extend it further.

Lloyd Kelly

It really has been five years since Kelly left Ashton Gate to sign for Bournemouth where he became club captain, made 141 appearances, 54 of which were in the Premier League and while he’s battled injury issues, restricting some of his intended development, the Bristolian has established himself as a top-flight defender.

Although Kelly’s contract at Vitality Stadium is coming to an end, the Cherries would have liked to have kept him and he’s widely expected to be reunited with Eddie Howe at Newcastle United.

Adrian Mariappa

A late addition during the 2020/21 season as City wrestled with an injury crisis at the back, the veteran defender was released the following summer as Nigel Pearson had replaced Dean Holden.

Since then he’s played for Mcarthur FC in Australia, Burton Albion in League One and, most recently, Salford City in League Two who have neglected to offer the 37-year-old a new deal after 38 appearances last season.

Stephen McLaughlin

Mansfield Town will not be taking the Irish midfielder with them into League One as after making 28 appearances, albeit with just six league starts, the 33-year-old is now a free agent. It was 11 years ago that McLaughlin arrived at Ashton Gate on loan from Nottingham Forest making seven appearances at the start of the 2013/14 League One campaign under Sean O’Driscoll.

Liam Moore

A Championship regular for Reading, the centre-back is now searching for his third club in as many years after a handful of appearances for Northampton Town last season.

Yet another “name that City loanee from 2015/16” Moore played 10 games for the Robins on loan from Leicester City during their Premier League title-winning campaign.

Simon Moore

The goalkeeper made 11 appearances for the Robins on loan in the back end of the 2013/14 season under Steve Cotterill before playing for Sheffield United and Coventry City, where he’s remained for the last three seasons.

After being usurped by Ben Wilson and Brad Collins as the Sky Blues No1, the 34-year-old is being released but with 253 EFL appearances on his CV, surely won’t be short of offers.

Joe Morrell

Celebrated promotion with Portsmouth a club the Wales international has come to view as “home” after not settling or establishing himself at Luton Town following his City departure in 2020.

Pompey have neglected to take Morrell up on the 12-month option on his present deal and are instead in negotiations to restructure his contract. As John Mousinho has admitted, that does open up the possibility of the 27-year-old leaving, should he receive a better offer elsewhere.

Marlon Pack

The former City stalwart has enjoyed a fairytale return to hometown club Portsmouth where he’s been a fulcrum of the squad that secured promotion back to the Championship, also winning their Player of the Season Award.

Now a bona fide modern legend on the south coast, the 33-year-old’s deal expires later this month but there’s every expectation he’ll remain a Pompey player.

Jamie Paterson

His time in south Wales has broadly run in line with his five years at City in which the playmaker has been part-cult hero, part-eternal figure of frustration due to his inconsistencies. There’s also been a high-profile contract dispute thrown in there during Russell Martin’s time in charge.

But Paterson declared earlier this year he wants to remain a Swan and he remains in talks with the club over extending his stay, with manager Luke Williams - himself formerly of City - keen to keep the 32-year-old but also wanting a resolution sooner rather than later.

Alex Pearce

Another previously consistent figure for Reading at Championship level who was a one-time City loanee, the former Scotland international has been released after two seasons at AFC Wimbledon in League Two.

Tommy Rowe

A slight unsung hero during his two seasons at City in which he proved a valuable squad member, slotting in at a number of positions due to various injury problems across that period from 2019-2021.

Rowe returned to Doncaster for a second spell, where had become a bit of a modern day hero, and has been a regular for two of his three campaigns back in South Yorkshire; six years, 267 appearances and 45 goals, as Donny wrote themselves upon confirming his departure, Rowe has “been a figurehead during his two spells, bringing undoubted commitment, determination and guidance throughout.”

John Ruddy

One of the few bright spots in a truly dismal season for Birmingham City, Ruddy was such a busy man that Whoscored named him statistically the best goalkeeper in the Championship last season which begs the question of how bad Blues would have been had he not been between the posts.

With his deal at St Andrews expiring, the 37-year-old will undoubtedly have significant interest throughout the pyramid due to his performances and the experience he brings which includes a loan spell at City during the 2006/07 season.

Korey Smith

The popular midfielder signed off in style at Derby, playing 90 minutes in their promotion-clinching victory over Carlisle United and then celebrating on the pitch with his family. That was the 85th and final appearance for Smith in a Rams shirt, having spent two seasons with Swansea City prior to that after his City exit.

Now 33, but having played 37 games last season, there’s enough evidence to suggest he’s more than capable of being part of an upwardly mobile and ambitious side in League One.

Matt Smith

Only two players - Macaulay Langstaff of Notts County and Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics - scored more EFL goals last season than the veteran striker whose 25 in League Two also saw him named Salford City’s Player of the Season in what proved a career-best campaign.

The 34-year-old announced his departure last month “with a heavy heart” which also included a hint that his next steps in the game may be in a coaching capacity.

Liam Walsh

City’s decision to release Walsh in the summer of 2021 was viewed by some as something that could come back to bite the hierarchy given the promise he had shown during his outstanding loan season for Coventry City in 2019/20.

However, ultimately the same reasons the Robins let him go have governed Swansea’s judgement as, quite simply, the Scouser can’t stay fit for significant periods of time as evidenced by his 34 appearances over the course of his contract.

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