Sturrock Wields Axe

Paul Sturrock has today revealed the players set to leave Hillsborough after he wielded the axe in a bid to free up some much needed cash for players.

Richard Evans, Lee Peacock and Paul Heckingbottom will not have their contracts re-newed at the end of the current campaign, whilst Graeme Lee and Craig Rocastle have been told to find other clubs.

Sturrock said: 'If we are bringing players to the club in the windows, we have to make sure there are spaces for those players. We have players we are hopeful will be coming in sooner rather than later.''

The decision on Evans and Heckingbottom was hardly surprising after the pair dropped down the pecking order at Hillsborough with new players arriving.

Striker Lee Peacock has taken much stick from the Hillsborough faithful after his lack of goals in a blue and white shirt, but Sturrock has still stuck with the former Bristol City man, which makes it quite surprising that Peacock is one of the players to leave.

Craig Rocastle is another player to take stick from the fans, and has not featured since Sturrock publically critisized the fans for booing 'Rocky' during a game. Rocastle was signed on a three-year contract from Chelsea in the summer, and it looks like Sturrock has changed his mind on Rocastle's future at Hillsborough.

Graeme Lee has had his chances in the first team this season but hasn't taken them. With Graham Coughlan coming to the club, and Richard Wood adapting well to the Championship, it looks like Lee would have been nothing more than a squad player at Hillsborough.

Sturrock continued: 'I do not want seasoned professionals who have done this club great service over their contracts playing reserve football. I also don't want the scenario of players like Graeme Lee and Craig Rocastle on the periphery. I would like these players to find homes very quickly if at all possible.

'The reason I have made comment now is so they have the window to enable their representatives to sort things out. Several players have contracted me about these players and I've relayed that to them and their representatives.''

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