Breaking: Birmingham City confirm the departure of former Brighton midfielder

Gary Gardner, a former Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, is likely to depart Birmingham City as a free agent.

The experienced midfielder has spent two loan periods in Yorkshire, the first of which was with Wednesday in 2014. He returned to South Yorkshire three years later, joining Barnsley and making 30 appearances for the Reds.

He is likely to become a free agent after Birmingham revealed he will not sign new contracts at St Andrew’s. His departure will bring an end to a six-year association with the Blues, which began when he moved across the city from bitter rivals Aston Villa.

Gardner has been discharged along with four other senior players, including former Sheffield United loanee Scott Hogan.

According to a statement, Birmingham stated: “The club thanks each player for their efforts during their time at Blues and wishes them every success in their future career moves.”

Gardner’s tenure at St Andrew’s did not conclude on a good note, with the Blues dropping out of the Championship on the final day of the regular season. They joined Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town in League One, while Sheffield Wednesday managed to avoid relegation.

The midfielder is Craig’s younger brother, a former teammate at Birmingham and Aston Villa. Craig will be familiar to Wednesday fans, having worked as a coach with the Owls during Tony Pulis’ ill-fated stint in S6.