MELBOURNE, June 17 (Reuters) - Australia midfielder Jackson Irvine has left Hull City after failing to agree a short-term deal with the English Championship (second tier) club.
Irvine, who joined Hull on a three-year deal in 2017 and was a member of Australia's 2018 World Cup squad, was among four players who declined to play the side's last nine games of the season, which resumes this weekend after a three-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The others were Eric Lichaj, Stephen Kingsley and Marcus Maddison, said the relegation-threatened club.
"It's always a tough decision to let lads go who have helped the club on and off the field but all the decisions are made in the best interests of the football club," head coach Grant McCann said.
“Ultimately, at this stage of the season, we only want players that are fully committed to the club's cause and our focus is firmly on working with the group that remains ahead of the last nine games."