Heskey released by Aston Villa
Heskey departs
Aston Villa have confirmed that the trio of Emile Heskey, Brad Guzan and Carlos Cuellar have been released from the club after failing to earn a contract extension with the claret and blue.
The 34-year-old former Liverpool striker who joined Aston Villa from Wigan Athletic in the January transfer window in 2009 for a reported fee of around £3.5 millions has since managed to score just 14 goals from 108 appearances for the Midlands outfit.
Brad Guzan, the 27-year-old goalkeeper from United States, has also been released after four years at the club during which he played second fiddle to Brad Friedel and then Shay Given and managed just 32 appearances in all competitions.
Defender Carlos Cuellar, who joined Aston Villa from Scottish side Rangers, had announced his departure through his twitter and facebook account on 6th May itself, following a 1-1 draw against Tottenham that confirmed Aston Villa’s premier league survival. The 31-year-old Spaniard managed 115 appearances and was fondly referred to as “King Carlos” by the Villa fans.
Also joining the trio would be Ebby Nelson Addy, Connor Taylor, Charlie Ward, Reece Caira, Richard Bryan, Matthew Coton, Darious Darkin and Seb Jenkins, who were released from the academy.
The club thanked all the players for their contribution and wished them well for the future. A statement on the club’s official website read:
“Brad Guzan, Emile Heskey and Carlos Cuellar have all been released by Villa. The claret and blue trio were all the end of their contracts and will now seek pastures new.