With the season now done and dusted, teams are now announcing their released lists and Dale have decided to go early with theirs.
The full article can be found here:
https://www.rochdaleafc.co.uk/news/2024/april/retainedreleasedlist2024/
Leaving the club this summer are the following players:
Tyrese Sinclair
If there's one surprise on the released list it's Tyrese Sinclair. Highly rated by a lot outside of Spotland and does come with a far highlight reel as well but some fans just never really took to Tyrese. Possibly because he could be seen as one of the bad apples along with the likes of Odoh and Ball, possibly with zero justification.
Sinclair joined in the summer of 2022 having been released by Mansfield Town, had a mixed season in League Two with Jim Bentley farming him out on loan to Altrincham where he did well and we expected a much better season this season and it started well enough with 9 goals in the first half of the season. He only scored twice more since December and found himself out of the team with a few weeks of the season to go. He made 71 appearances for Dale, of which about half were substitute appearances and he scored 14 goals.
Adam Clayton
The 35-year-old midfielder joined last summer having been released by Bradford City and went onto make 27 appearances but has barely featured since about December when he was injured.
Max Taylor
I don't think there will be many surprised that the 24 year old centre back is leaving Dale, or disappointed either. It's been a tough couple of years for Taylor who did start off looking like an impressive signing having joined in 2021 following a successful trial period after his release by Manchester United. He then signed a couple of contract extensions under Robbie Stockdale than nobody really understood. Max went on to play 62 games for Dale, scoring 4 goals, a couple of which were very impressive strikes. He's only managed 13 appearances this season for Dale before heading out to Solihull on loan.
Michael Afuye
Michael Afuye joined Dale from Avro FC last summer after impressing during a trial period but I think it's fair to say, struggled with the jump up in level. He spent the back part of the season on loan at Guiseley where he played 15 goals and scored 1 goal. He made 8 appearances for Rochdale.
The players who have been offered new contracts are:
Ethan Ebanks-Landell
Ian Henderson
Cameron John
Devante Rodney
Jimmy Keohane
Brad Kelly
Kyron Gordon will be staying at Rochdale as well with the club having exercised an option in his contract.
The following players are still contracted for next season:
George Nevett
Harvey Gilmour
Jesurun Uchegbulam
Kairo Mitchell
Kyle Ferguson
Ryan East
The following loan players return to their parent clubs:
Cian Hayes
D’Mani Mellor
Dan Sassi
Finlay Armstrong
Jacob Chapman
Sam Mather
Sam Murray
Tiernan Brooks
Of the loan players, I can't remember a loan player as universally loved by Dale fans as Cian Hayes is and if we've seen the last of him now (we can pray it isn't), then he deserves a special mention because he's been absolutely brilliant and won us points on his own this season.