Released Woodgate unlikely to make return to Elland Road

Woodgate’s availability will alert former club Leeds but his wages and recent track record with injuries are likely to block the possibility of a return to Elland Road.

Only if Woodgate is willing to accept a huge pay cut or even a ‘pay-as-you-play’ deal would there be any room for negotiation.

Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira, Manchester United’s Owen Hargreaves and West Ham defender Matthew Upson were also released as the Premier League published its lists of retained players and those available on a free.

It is no surprise to see the three relegated clubs – Birmingham, West Ham and Blackpool – offloading 32 players between them.

Age has caught up with Vieira, 35 next week, and he is joined on the exit list at Eastlands by Javier Garrido and former academy graduate Shaleum Logan.

Hargreaves’s departure was expected as injury restricted him to just 11 minutes’ football in the last two seasons and Woodgate suffered similar problems, making just four appearances in two years.

Birmingham have let a dozen players go, with Lee Bowyer, Sebastian Larsson, James McFadden, Kevin Phillips and Maik Taylor on their list of free transfers.

West Ham’s England international Upson, Wales centre-back Danny Gabbidon, defender Lars Jacobsen and Jonathan Spector have all been put on the open market, while Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan’s rejection of a new contract means he joins 11 others leaving Bloomfield Road.

Also released: Aston Villa – John Carew, Robert Pires, Nigel Reo-Coker; Blackburn Rovers – Jason Brown, Benjani Mwaruwari; Bolton Wanderers – Johan Elmander, Ricardo Gardner and Jlloyd Samuel; Everton – goalkeeper Iain Turner; Fulham – Zoltan Gera, Diomansy Kamara and John Pantsil; Newcastle United – Sol Campbell; Stoke – Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ibrahima Sonko; Sunderland – Bolo Zenden; West Bromwich Albion – Abdoulaye Meite; Wolverhampton Wanderers – Dave Jones, Jody Craddock, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann; Wigan Athletic – Steven Caldwell, Daniel de Ridder, Jason Koumas, goalkeeper Mike Pollitt.