Caley Thistle have confirmed 14 players will depart the Highlanders in a summer exodus ahead of next season.
Skipper Carl Tremarco and midfielder Charlie Trafford have been released, while defender Shaun Rooney and forward Jordan White have agreed pre-contracts elsewhere.
Rooney is joining Premiership side St Johnstone, while White’s destination has not been revealed. The forward, who has finished Caley Jags’ leading scorer in each of the last two seasons, has been linked with Motherwell.
Winger Tom Walsh and Brazilian youngster Matheus Machado have also both turned down new two-year deals, and will depart at the end of this month.
Inverness manager John Robertson had been keen to retain Walsh, who battled with a hamstring injury last season, however the former Rangers player has opted to move on.
Inverness will also part company with eight of the youngsters who spent time on loan with Fort William last season, with Daniel Hoban, Donald Morrison, Gabriel Hastings, Ryan Fyffe, Harry Nicolson, Jack Brown, Ross Gunn and Roddy Kennedy moving on.
The Press and Journal understands Inverness will retain all players who have not been offered new deals in order for them to receive an income courtesy of the UK government’s job retention scheme.
Inverness have agreed new deals with four players however, with vice-captain Aaron Doran, forward Nikolay Todorov, defender Brad Mckay and goalkeeper Cammy Mackay remaining at the club beyond the summer.
In a club statement, Inverness admitted the coronavirus pandemic was a major factor in so many players departing the club.
The statement said: “It’s fair to say that if we were not in the middle of a global pandemic with no idea when football as we know it is due to restart, there are players listed below who most certainly would have been offered new contracts.
“Unfortunately that is not now possible and so with something of a heavy heart we have to give the following update.
“We wish all of the Caley Thistle boys who are leaving us a long and successful career wherever the road takes them next.”
