Fulham release club captain Hangeland

By

Fulham captain Brede Hangeland has left the club after relegation from the Premier League.

The 32-year-old centre-back made 272 appearances during a six-and-a-half year stay at Craven Cottage, including marshalling the defence in the 2010 Europa League final.

The Norwegian international joined the Whites in January 2008 as Roy Hodgson’s first signing and made an instant impact, helping the club secure survival in the top flight.

He scored 12 goals for Fulham, seven of them coming in the 2010-11 season when he was the club’s second equal highest scorer alongside Bobby Zamora.

However, injuries plagued him last season and he made only 22 appearances as the Whites slipped out of the Premier League.

Hangeland’s contract was not due to expire until next summer but the club have exercised an option enabling them to terminate the deal now.

In a statement, Hangeland said he was “disappointed beyond words” that he was informed by e-mail of the decision to release him rather than in person.

The club subsequently posted on Twitter that “all personal protocol was followed and Brede Hangeland was notified in the right way.”

Last month, Fulham announced that Damien Duff, Steve Sidwell, John Arne Riise, Giorgos Karagounis, Mahamadou Diarra, John Heitinga, Matthew Briggs, Derek Boateng and Neil Etheridge had all been let go as the rebuilding process begins.

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook