NORWICH City have confirmed Darren Huckerby will not be offered a new contract and joins a number of players leaving the club as free agents.

NORWICH City have confirmed Darren Huckerby will not be offered a new contract and joins a number of players leaving the club as free agents.

As manager Glenn Roeder's plans to overhaul the City squad gather momentum, the following players have been told they will not be offered contracts for next season:

Darren Huckerby

Rossi Jarvis

Ryan Jarvis

Bally Smart

Patrick Bexfield

Andrew Cave-Brown

Steven Arnold

Matthew Halliday

Juan Velasco

City boss Glenn Roeder said the decisions had been made for footballing reasons and thanked Huckerby for his huge contribution to the Canary cause since he joined in the 2003-04 season.

He commented: "I have talked it over with Darren and told him we will not be offering him a contract for next season.

"I am looking to overhaul the squad for next season and beyond and a number of players, including Darren, are not part of those plans. I'd like to place on record my recognition for what he has achieved during his time at Norwich City, particularly in the promotion season.

"Myself and all the staff at Colney and Carrow Road wish him all the very best for the future."

Norwich City chairman Roger Munby said everyone at the club wanted to recognise and pay tribute to the special and lasting contribution Huckerby had made in his time with the Canaries.

"When Nigel Worthington pulled off the coup of signing Darren, Peter Crouch and Kevin Harper on loan in the autumn of 2003 the football world sat up and took notice.

"They were right to do so, as Darren in particular had a galvanising effect on the club on and off the pitch and was an integral factor in our promotion success the following May.

"The fans have always had a special relationship with Darren, illustrated from the start when they helped us to make the calculated gamble of signing him from Manchester City for £750,000, by supporting our share issue in the winter of 2003.

"For his part Darren has been a professional servant to the football club on the pitch and through supporting our commitment to the community. He rightly occupies a place in our Hall of Fame and our heartfelt and sincere best wishes go with him as the club moves into a new era."

The club will not be commenting at this stage on the position of other players out of contract at the end of the season and will make any further announcements as and when there is news to report.

Last month Huckerby said he would not want to play for another club: “I have made a conscious decision that I don't want to play against Norwich City, so that kills a lot of clubs and a lot of potential teams I could go to,” said Huckerby, who has been free to talks to other clubs since January.

“It wouldn't mean anything to me to play against Norwich. It means everything to me to play for Norwich and for another team it wouldn't mean anything. It would be a job, and I don't want that. I want to remember this place as a great place and I want the fans to remember me as someone who did great things for them. I can't - I won't - be coming back here to play against them.”