Sheffield Wednesday: Last season's two leading scorers leave on free transfers
Josh Windass and Michael Smith will be the first players to leave Sheffield Wednesday on free transfers as a result of this summer's financial crisis.
On Thursday the Owls confirmed the pair have had their contracts terminated by mutual consent.
Under Football League rules, any player who does not receive his wages in full and on time for two consecutive months is able to request a free transfer after giving 15 days' notice.
The bulk of the Owls squad fell into that category in May and June, having also suffered delays in March.
The club have been put under a transfer embargo which means they can only sign enough free transfers or loans without a fee to take them up to 23 senior players.
Both were part of the side who won promotion from League One via the 2023 play-offs, with Windass scoring the diving header which beat Barnsley in the final minute of extra-time at Wembley. In all, he scored 53 goals in 182 appearances, making him the leading scorer in the squad.
The pair were last season's leading scorers for Wednesday in the Championship, Smith scoring eight goals and Windass 13.
"I can categorically tell you without any hestitation that I have given 100 per cent in every single day in training and every game," Windass wrote on Instagram. "My goal is always to give supporters moments to remember and hopefully that is what I have dione and you will remember me that way."
Smith, who joined on a free transfer from Rotherham United in 2022, scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in the "Miracle of Hillsborough" as the Owls overcame a 4-0 first leg deficit against Peterborough United to win the second leg of their play-off semi-final 5-1, then go through on penalties to set up their final versus Barnsley.
Smith and Windass both scored in the shoot-out.