Andrew Considine will leave Aberdeen in the summer after the club pulled a dramatic U-turn over his new contract.
The 35-year-old, who made his debut back in 2004, has been told he no longer has a future at the club beyond the summer.
And despite wanting to stay the long-serving defender will leave after 18 years when his current deal expires at the end of the season.
The news comes as a major surprise after boss Jim Goodwin said it was just a case of “dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s” on a new contract.
Goodwin, speaking previously, claimed: “Andy is a player I have great admiration for and he has been a great servant to Aberdeen down the years.
“I always think it’s important to have good experienced players around the squad.
“Those talks have been ongoing prior to me coming in and we aren’t too far away. It’s just a case of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.
“Andy is certainly a player I’ve got plans for in the future.”
Considine is fourth in Aberdeen’s all-time appearance list with 562 outings.
He was less than 30 behind goalkeeper Bobby Clark but his hopes of matching him have now been extinguished.
The shock decision is unlikely to go down well with the majority of the Aberdeen support.
Considine came back into the squad after serious injury and was given a rousing reception from the Red Army on his Pittodrie return against Hibs just last month.
Aberdeen have massively under-performed this season and sit a disappointing ninth in the table.
A lot of the fans believe the loss of Considine, who had been out suffering a sickening knee injury away in the Europa League to Qarabag, had left a major dent in their season.
Previous boss Stephen Glass was keen to get him on a new deal.
Considine has played under numerous managers and was part of the successful Derek McInnes ’ side that won the League Cup in 2014 and helped the Dons to finish second in four consecutive seasons from 2014-2018.
The local boy has also helped Aberdeen to qualify for Europe for the last eight consecutive seasons.
Considine’s impressive form also saw him win a Scotland call-up and his three caps just two years ago.
Goodwin has a big job ahead of him as he looks to revive Aberdeen’s fortunes.
The former St Mirren manager has won just one game since he arrived and their top six hopes are hanging by a thread.
Aberdeen need to beat Ross County and hope other results go their way if they are to scramble into the top half before the split.
Goodwin has already started to make big decisions, allowing captain and player coach Scott Brown to terminate his contract early.
He has also tried to get Jak Alnwickon a pre-contract from St Mirren but he looks likely to be heading for Cardiff City.
The Dons boss also wants to make a six figure bid for St Mirren defender Charles Dunne and a move for Connor Ronan, when he returns from the Buddies to Wolves in the summer.
