Paul Coutts exits Fleetwood Town with praise from chairman and interim manager

The deal will take the 32-year-old Scot, who has been club captain at Highbury, through to the end of his Fleetwood contract.

Coutts has made 67 Cod Army appearances since joining the club in summer 2019, 28 of them this season, and moves on with the best wishes of the Town hierarchy.

Club owner Pilley said: "Couttsy is at a stage in his career where he needs the security of a long-term contract. His contract is up with us in the summer.

"We are not in the position to offer him the security he desires therefore he leaves with a real 'thank you'.

"I think he's been an outstanding player for the club but we also have an abundance of midfield players and we have to look to the future.

"I thought Sam Finley was outstanding when he came on the other night (in the defeat at MK Dons). We all know how good Jordan Rossiter is. Callum Camps has been exceptional this season and we can't play everyone."

Wiles said: “Paul has been a great servant for the football club. I’ve built a great relationship with him over this period that I’ve been in charge.

“He’s a fantastic bloke and we wish him all the best. He’s at the stage in his career where he’s going to be wanting to play every minute of every game.

“We’ve got a lot of midfielders who are chomping at the bit and ready to go.

“We’ve had to look at that and Paul's going to a good club at Salford. He’s going to get his game time and we wish him all the best with it.

“He’s been fantastic for this football club, not just for me but the previous manager too. I’m looking forward to seeing how he does at Salford.”

Coutts said of his move: “We had a change in manager at Fleetwood. Things were a bit up in the air and I got the opportunity to come here, so I jumped at the chance.

“ I’ve not actually played in League Two yet, so that will be a new experience for me, but it’s something I’m looking forward to and hopefully I can add to the group and help them achieve what they want this season.

“I just like to get on the ball and try to play. I spoke to the manager and it’s the style of football he likes to play, so that was one of the attractions about coming."

Coutts was the last of three players whose move from Fleetwood to League Two clubs was announced on Thursday.

Defender Sam Stubbs has joined Exeter City on a permanent deal, while midfielder Jay Matete will linked up with Grimsby Town on loan for the rest of the season.

Pilley said of those deals: "Sam hasn't really had chance to make that much impact, with limited appearances.

"He's been very unfortunate getting injured but he's another really good young player I think will go on to have a very successful career, but he needs first-team football.

"Jay Matete has left for very different reasons in that Jay has got a very big future at Fleetwood.

"Jay is going to be a tremendous footballer but he just needs first-team football. It's quite obvious we have too many players in the first-team squad right now. We have to trim it and give regular football to the lads we have.

"It's unfair on someone like Jay to be an unused substitute and sometimes not even make the squad.

"We want to see how good he is playing week in, week out in League Tw and then we can take stock and hopefully get him into the first team starting next season."