Scott Allan insists 'plenty of football left in me' as Hibs release prompts emotional message

Scott Allan has insisted he has “plenty of football left” after issuing a defiant, but grateful statement on his release from Hibs.

Allan’s third spell at Easter Road has reached an end with the midfielder confirmed as one of six permanent players to leave Lee Johnson’s squad this summer. Sean Mackie, Jamie Murphy, Drey Wright, Innes Murray and Alex Gogic will depart along with loan players Rocky Bushiri, James Scott and Sylvester Jasper.

Paul McGinn will be staying put, however, after penning a new one-year extension.

Hibs sent a special message to Allan as they announced his exit, and the 30-year-old responded in kind, picking out Leann Dempster, Neil Lennon and Jack Ross for their roles in his Leith career which began in 2014 after a move from West Bromwich Albion. He also spent time on loan from Celtic before making the return permanent three years ago.

After a loan at Inverness he is now raring to go with further football opportunities since being limited him to five substitute appearances this year.

He wrote: "I wanted to give this some thought to try and do my three different spells at Hibs justice, because it’s meant a lot to me and my family.

"There have been some great highs and some very difficult lows, on and off the pitch. The one constant has been the support of some brilliant people. There are too many to list them all but they know who they are and if they ever need anything they know just to ask. I want to mention and thank Leeann because she fought to bring me back and always had my back. Neil, Jack, the medical department, I could go on and on. It’s been a privilege to work with them all. If you strip a club back, it’s the people that make it and no-one should ever take guys like that for granted.

“The same goes for supporters who have always treated me so well and picked me up when I needed it. Thank you.

Hibernian's Scott Allan will leave the club this summer after three spells at Easter Road. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

"I worked hard to come back from a pretty bad place. There’s plenty of football left in me and I’m looking forward to whatever comes next.”

In the club statement, Hibs paid tribute to a “popular figure in the dressing room and fans' favourite at Easter Road”.