Republic of Ireland international Alan Judge says he is disappointed in the manner in which his time at Ipswich Town has come to an end, but is looking forward to his next challenge.
Judge, who won the last of his nine caps in a friendly victory over Bulgaria 19 months ago, gave an update on his situation at the club.
Last week Ipswich said the 32-year-old midfielder, who has started 29 games this season in League One for the Tractor Boys, would not feature again this term as it would automatically trigger a one-year extension.
"It's not ideal for us or Alan because I would have liked to have had him available for us over the rest of the season," manager Paul Cook said.
"I told him we are not in a position to trigger that extension to his contract and because of the situation, we won’t be considering him for the remaining games."
Judge moved to Portman Road in January 2019 and has been a mainstay in the team, racking up 91 appearances in all competitions.
Today the Dubliner posted a statement on social media, outlining his disappointment at the turn of events.
"Now that I’ve had a few days to think and to just let things settle…" Judge began. "With the last year that I’ve had, this is not the way I wanted to end my time at Ipswich Town but this is football.
"In all honesty, nothing surprises me anymore in this industry. I was made aware of my contract situation on Thursday morning that if I played one more game from the start my contract would be extended.
— alan judge (@10judgey) April 19, 2021
"We both came to the agreement that there was no point in risking our position from both sides’ perspective. Me and my family have built up a great life her and met some lovely people at Ipswich in and out of the club.
"We have thoroughly enjoyed living in Suffolk. We now await our next adventure wherever that may take us."
Ipswich lie in ninth position in League one, three places and four points adrift of the play-off spots, after a 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic at the weekend.
