Harte-break for former Ireland man as Bournemouth release defender

They didn't waste much time

So close but yet so far for a man who we were hoping would add to the slim Irish contingent in the Premier League next season. This evening Bournemouth have cruelly dashed our hopes of seeing free-kick specialist Ian Harte grace the top flight once again as his contract at the club will not be renewed. The Irish left-back featured just nine times for the Cherries this season, but in a statement released by the club this afternoon they confirmed that his time at the newly crowned Championship winners is over along with six other players. In a brief statement manager Eddie Howe admitted that letting players go was the hardest part of the job as his side look to strengthen ahead of a maiden Premier League campaign next season,

'It’s always difficult when you have to make decisions about players’ futures, especially when they have done so well for us over a long period of time.' 'This is the heart breaking part of the job because we are losing some very good people and some fantastic characters.'

Harte leaves the club along with Josh McQuoid, Benji Buchel, Joe Partington, Mohamed Coulibaly and Miles Addison who will not be offered new deals at the club. H/T to Bournemouth