Player contract updates

Manager David Hopkin yesterday met with last season’s first-team squad and we can confirm that eight players will depart upon the expiry of their contracts while we await final decisions on the futures of eight others.

Goalkeeper Derek Gaston, defenders Lee Kilday, Rory McKeown and Jack Iredale, midfielder Charlie Telfer, and strikers Denny Johnstone, Gary Oliver and Ben Armour will leave when their deals end on 10 June.

Gaston joined the club in 2012 and went on to make 216 starts and two substitute appearances, winning a League One title and keeping 68 clean sheets to reach fifth in the list of the club’s record shut-out holders.

Long-time team-mate and fellow title-winner Kilday also departs after a half decade of service, in which time he served as skipper for three seasons and made a total of 149 starts and eight sub appearances.

Contract offers have been made to Michael Tidser, Lewis Strapp, Bob McHugh, and Robert Thomson and we expect to receive their answers in the coming days.

Jim McAlister, Chris Millar, Gregor Buchanan, and Reghan Tumilty, meanwhile, all have an appearance-based option to activate one-year extensions and a final decision will be made on their futures by Wednesday.

Loan players Robby McCrorie, Kerr Waddell, Andrew Dallas, Greg Kiltie, and Keelan O’Connell have now all returned to their respective parent clubs.

We would like to wish all departing players the best for the future and thank them all for their efforts and commitment over the course of their Cappielow careers.