Fleetwood Town announce retained list

Amongst the six professionals they have released, Kyle Dempsey is the standout name.

Also released are Matt Gilks, Conor McAleny, Dean Marney, James Cottam, and Gerard Garner.

Macauley Southam-Hales and Harrison Holgate have had 12-month options on the contracts taken and have had their stay at Highbury extended.

Laurence Smith has agreed a one-year extension to his deal and Glenn Whelan is in talks with the club to extend his deal that expired this summer.

Callum Connolly, Lewis Gibson, Barrie McKay, Harry Souttar, Jordan Rossiter, and Isak Thorvaldsson have all returned to their parent clubs following the end of their loans.

As reported in the Gazette last week, Kyle Dempsey was offered a bumper new deal in January prior to his back injury that saw him sidelined for months.

He delayed signing and Town didn't want to pay more for a player that would be out of action for months, they have since decided against keeping him on with a replacement potentially lined up.

Matt Gilks joined the Cod Army last summer and the 38-year-old played six times this season, five times in the league. He was a part of a goalkeeping group that saw the no.1 spot change hands a few times and was often praised by head coach Joey Barton for the seniority he brought to the group.

Conor McAleny ends a three year stay on the Fylde coast, having joined from Everton. The forward spent the first half of last season at Town, scoring three times before joining Shrewsbury Town for the second half of the campaign.

The remainder of the Fleetwood squad is: Alex Cairns, Lewie Coyle, Danny Andrew, Wes Burns, Ched Evans, Josh Morris, Paul Coutts, Paddy Madden, Harrison Biggins, Jack Sowerby, Barry Baggeley, Billy Crellin, Harvey Saunders, Jay Matete, Harrison Holgate, Macaulay Southam-Hales, Cian Hayes, Shayden Morris, Laurence Smith.