Birmingham City have today confirmed that winger David Cotterill has left the Sky Bet Championship side with immediate effect.
Cotterill made 109 appearances in total for the Blues during his three-and-a-half-year stay.
However, in the current Sky Bet Championship campaign, the Welsh international has only managed to chalk up minimal starts under the two managers that have been in charge of the club this season, Harry Redknapp and now Steve Cotterill, with his last start coming at the beginning of November.
Good relationship with Rowett tattered
During his time at the club, Cotterill scored 15 goals and whilst under the management of former Blues boss and current Derby County manager Gary Rowett, the 30-year-old was one of the most influential players in the division.
At one point, his link-up play with Clayton Donaldson, who now plays for Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United, was one of the most deadly combinations in the entire Football League.
This was because Rowett knew what he was working with and he knew how to get the best out of the two players who clearly had fantastic ability to work off each other on the pitch.
Fans crying out for creativity
Despite Blues being the lowest scoring team in all of the Football League, Cotterill wasn't given the opportunity to showcase his creative abilities on the pitch.
This subsequently frustrated both him and the fans of the club who have been crying out for some creativity in what has been a very lacklustre season for Blues so far.
Sitting at the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table, Cotterill may well have had a lucky escape by being released.
Although he leaves the club with their greatest thanks, there is something more to the releasing of Cotterill than meets the eye.
It may well come to light that this has been a sacking rather than a releasing but only time will tell.