Newcastle United have said farewell to some loyal servants over the summer, just as Eddie Howe warned they would at the end of last season. The Magpies boss knew he would have to trim his bloated squad during the window, which meant axing players who have spent many a year on Tyneside.
Clark, Hayden, Dwight Gayle, Jeff Hendrick and Federico Fernandez have all departed in recent weeks after failing to break into Howe's plans in the last 11 months. While they may not have impressed on the pitch of late, the Newcastle manager has continuously praised their actions behind the scenes.
"It's difficult to speak about individuals, but I'm sure, for some of my players, it may well be an emotional experience," Howe told reporters after the last game of the season. "I'm very much in the mindset that we have to be very appreciative of everybody's efforts to our success this season in terms of the position we were in to where we are now.
