Matt Phillips makes West Brom exit announcement, sends message to Albion fans
Matt Phillips has confirmed he’s leaving West Brom on Instagram.
Phillips’ contract is set to expire at the end of June and it seems that he and the Black Country club have decided to go their separate ways after eight years.
The 33-year-old joined Albion from QPR in 2016, making 255 appearances in all competitions and scoring 31 goals.
However, his time at The Hawthorns has also been plagued by injury and it seems his five-minute cameo in the win over Preston in the final day of the Championship season was his last in the blue and white stripes of the Baggies.
“On behalf of me and my family, I would like to say a massive thank you for your support over the last eight years, Baggies,” said Phillips via his personal Instagram account on 21 May.
“This club will always be in my heart and I wish it nothing but success moving forward!
“You have an unbelievable manager and a great group of lads that strive each day to do you all proud!”
Who else could leave West Brom in the summer transfer window?
Phillips is likely to be the first of a number of West Brom players to announce they are leaving The Hawthorns over the course of the coming weeks.
Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre and Alex Mowatt are the other big-name players at the Albion who could leave and join another club on a free transfer this summer, while Erik Pieters, Yann M’Vila, Martin Kelly, Nathaniel Chalobah, Adam Reach, Pipa and Tedd Cann are also out of contract.
Phillips’ exit isn’t a shock.
He played just 26 times this season in the Championship and was superb for most of the first half of the campaign under Carlos Corberan, aiding the Albion to big wins over the likes of Coventry, Hull and Ipswich.
Unfortunately, Phillips is never too far away from an injury and while he might not have been one of the most memorable Baggies players of the last decade, he’s someone who regularly did better than most when he was fit.
All the best, Matty.
In other West Brom news, Jed Wallace has sent a new message to fans following the playoff defeat to Southampton
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