Chris Martin has delivered a heartfelt farewell to Bristol City supporters after his departure from the club was confirmed on transfer deadline day.
The 34-year-old striker is a free agent after having his deal mutually terminated with defender Timm Klose also ending his 12-month spell with the club. Martin's last start for the club came in the Carabao Cup defeat to Lincoln in November.
Martin, who made 94 appearances for the Robins, had entered the final six months of his contract and was free to leave in January although the club couldn't find any suitors for his signature. The news confirming his departure brought an end to his three-and-a-half-year stay in BS3 after joining on a free transfer from Derby County.
Taking to Twitter, Martin wrote: "So, my spell at Bristol City came to an end last week. I've met some amazing people and enjoyed great times on and off the pitch over the year - I'll always be grateful.
"Thank you to the fans for your support all the way through and kind messages over the last few days. It was an honour to pull on the shirt and represent your club.
"With the talent coming through, there are exciting times ahead! My family and I love the city and I'll always have an attachment to the area, and with my son being born here, I'll hopefully see you back down at The Gate. All the best for this season and beyond. Chris."
Ever the professional, Martin's time at City will mostly be remembered for his goalscoring record against rivals Cardiff and for playing his role in the prolific 'WSM' strike partnership alongside Andi Weimann and Antoine Semenyo. The trio were one of the most feared forces in the Championship last season with the club the highest scorers outside the top six with 62.
Martin contributed to 18 of those including 12 goals and six assists in a campaign where he made 43 league starts. Arguably, his most memorable contribution came against Cardiff in January 2022 where he scored twice at Ashton Gate in a 3-2 league victory and his record against the Bluebirds stood at three in four matches.
He also claimed a late winner in the 3-2 victory over Peterborough away from home and despite being a key cog in the system last season, found opportunities difficult to come by this time around as Nigel Pearson aimed for more dynamism and pace in the attack.
He started the first three league matches of the season, scoring against Sunderland, but his game time became limited given the form of Nahki Wells and emergence of Tommy Conway. When his exit was confirmed, manager Nigel Pearson said: "Chris and Timm have both come in today and said goodbye. On behalf of everyone at Bristol City I’d like to wish them both well for the future and thank them for their service to the club."
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